On the Go: RSS | Email Alerts | Mobile and iPhone

Sub-Navigation

Northeast Valley

Side Navigation

Marketplace
- Lifestyle Guides

Sub-Navigation

More News

	WINTER STORM WATCH
	Alert: 1 dead in I-10 crash near downtown Phoenix, traffic blocked
	Alert: Officer-involved wreck shuts down I-17 in Phoenix for hours

Search Arizona News by Date

SCOTTSDALE

Print this Story

911 calls released after huge Scottsdale mansion burns down

Reported by: Mitch Truswell
Email: mtruswell@abc15.com
Reported by: Chris Kline
Last Update: 11/19/2009 10:11 am

	Huge Scottsdale mansion burns for hours, roof collapses
	RAW VIDEO: Large house fire breaks out in Scottsdale

Slideshow

SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- The 911 calls made as a huge multi-million dollar mansion burned in Scottsdale last week have been released.

In one call released Wednesday, the caller reported seeing a "white billow of smoke" and noticed a "woody smell."

The female caller told dispatchers she could not see actual flames, but said, "Something is definitely on fire."

The house in the Troon North area of Scottsdale was destroyed by fire on Friday.

SEE PICTURES FROM THE SCENE IN THE ATTACHED PHOTO SLIDESHOW

Video from Air15 showed huge orange flames shooting out of the home as firefighters were rolling to the scene near 115th Street and Jomax Road.

By all accounts, it was a showcase home.

It was 8,200 square feet, set against a mountain, and on the market for $3.5 million.

About 30 firefighters from Scottsdale and Phoenix responded and when they arrived on the scene flames were already shooting through the roof, according to Scottsdale Fire Department spokesperson Patty Jo Angelini.

Lois Lemell said she saw the fire from her home.

Hours later she and her husband came a little closer to see the damage and to try and figure out how it could have happened.

"This was a blaze that went the entire length of the home, with evenly distributed flames along the home so it's puzzling and it's scary to think how these homes are built around here," Lemell said.

The home is owned by Jeffrey Balzer who bought the property in 2004. Fire crews say there was one person in the home at the time of the fire but that person was able to get out in time and was not injured. The Scottsdale Fire Department will not say if the person who escaped was Balzer.

Our attempts to reach Balzer were not successful.

Angelini said that in 1986, all newly constructed homes were supposed to have indoor fire sprinklers.

The home that burned was built in 2003. Angelini said it is unclear if the sprinklers were activated by the fire or not. That will be determined during the investigation.

Scottsdale Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal Jim Ford said it's possible an attic fire would not have triggered the sprinkler system.