A Hilltop home burned to a char on Monday as the Battle Mountain Volunteer Fire Department responded with their trucks to put out the flames. Melissa Hall and her son, Bryce, residents of the home, were not present during the fire on Monday, Oct. 23, which occurred around noon.
According to the fire department, the fire was sparked by an apparent electrical surge in the kitchen. The fire was first spotted by concerned resident Rafael Franco, who notified the Lander County Sheriff’s Department.
Franco explained, “I was driving when I saw the fire. The smoke was too dark to be burning trash, so I called the cops.”
Deputy Alex Rangel stated, “He (Franco) didn’t just call in the fire but also tried to get into the home to make sure nobody was inside.”
Hall moved into the home the night before the fire and lost nearly all of her possessions.
Hall gave a short statement on social media. “It’s times like this that make me realize how truly blessed I am. I may have lost all my belongings, but I still have my friends, family and everyone I love. I am amazed by all the support from people coming forward, complete strangers to help my son and I. I thank God for having so many kind souls coming to help us,” she wrote.
Hall had three pets at home. Two cats were trapped inside the house during the fire. Her dog, Cocoa, was in the front yard at the time. Cocoa was rescued by first responders and nervously looked over the home while firefighters put out the flames.
The two cats were unable to escape the house and were lost to the fire.
It took several hours to put the flames out, as the roof and attic insulated the blaze. The fire was out by approximately 5 p.m. that evening. Hall and her son are now forced to move again. They collected the few items they were able to salvage from the wreckage of their home and must start again. Hall said the support from town residents has been a blessing in her time of need.
