ALAMOSA — A Friday afternoon fire left an Alamosa woman homeless and her neighbor temporarily evacuated.

The fire at about 2:30 p.m. on April 7 left the apartment of Mary Quirico uninhabitable due to heavy fire and smoke damage, according to Alamosa Fire Chief Don Chapman.

He said the cause of the fire at 531 Wolf Street, Apartment A, is still under investigation. It started in the living room area of the apartment, Chapman said. The living room and kitchen sustained heavy fire and smoke damage, he added, while the bedroom and bathroom in the apartment sustained heavy smoke and heat damage.

The fire chief added that the majority of the contents of the apartment were destroyed in the fire, and the apartment itself is currently unlivable.

He added that some smoke damage in the next-door neighbor’s Apartment B forced that occupant out on Friday as well. Both residents were able to go stay with family members, Chapman said. Each apartment only had a single occupant.

The Alamosa Housing Authority owns the apartments.

Eighteen Alamosa firefighters responded to Friday’s apartment fire and were able to knock out the fire quickly, remaining on scene about an hour.

Photo by Jefferson Geiger.