A trailer residence on Santistevan Road off U.S. 64 in El Prado burned in a fire Wednesday afternoon (April 10), but no injuries were reported.
A neighbor contacted Taos Central Dispatch around 2 p.m. to report smoke and flames pouring out of the home. While initial reports indicated some of the home's residents might have been inside, firefighters on scene discovered that the home was unoccupied during the blaze.
The fire left one end of the trailer completely destroyed, and firefighters had to tear away the metal walls to access the interior, exposing a child’s bedroom that had been consumed by the flames. Homeowner Tanis Villanueva told the Taos News at the scene that he suspects the fire was caused by a faulty water heater, which was located on the side of the trailer, where the fire is believed to have originated.