On Friday, Sept. 7, the Dolores Volunteer Fire Department responded to a house fire on north 9th Street.
The back of the 100-year-old Victorian-style home of Mark Applequist was on fire. The fire was reported just after 4 p.m. Sina Skaggs was taking a nap when she smelled smoke.
Assistant Fire Chief Don Setser said the department was able to save the main part of the house, but the back wall of the house was damaged and there was smoke throughout the house.
We got lucky, said Mark Applequist.
Applequist and Skaggs cant stay in their home until repairs are done and the smoke smell is gone, but they were thankful it wasnt worse. In fact, just three feet away from the wall that burned was a plastic bottle of juice. It wasnt damaged at all and nearly all the belongings in the house were OK.
Setser said the fire likely started from cigarette ashes dumped in a plastic container. He added they should always be dumped in a metal container, away from the house.
The fire department was on scene until 6:30 p.m.
