Mayor Helps Save Family From Fire

Fri., Nov. 24, 2000

From Staff

The mayor of this Yakima County town helped wake up a local family and alert them that their house was on fire.

None of the five members of the Rodriguez family was injured in the fire that destroyed their home early Tuesday.

Mayor Bob Jones was en route to his restaurant at 4 a.m. when he spotted flames at a dark house. He used his cellular telephone to call 911, and then pounded on the door of the home and woke up the family.

The fire was controlled within 20 minutes. The cause of the blaze was determined to be a malfunction in attic wiring. The estimated loss on the insured one-bedroom home was $75,000.

The Rodriguezes were appreciative of the mayor’s quick actions.

“If it hadn’t been for him, we would be dead, completely charred,” Alicia Rodriguez said in Spanish.

The family is staying with relatives for the time being.

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