ALAMOSA — A rural Alamosa County man lost his home in a fire on Sunday morning.

Alamosa Fire Chief Don Chapman said Ron Hughes lost his log home and a vehicle to a fire on County Road 116 in the southeast corner of the county bordering Costilla County late morning on Sunday, Sept. 24.

The fire began with a propane heater explosion in the house. Hughes was home but not injured in the fire, as he was outside at the time of the explosion and subsequent fire. However, his house was a total loss, Chapman said.

Chapman said the Alamosa firefighters were on the scene about five hours and received assistance from the Costilla County Fire Department, with the Monte Vista Fire Department backfilling in Alamosa.

Red Cross is assisting Hughes.

Alamosa firefighters were called out on Monday afternoon to another structure fire. Chapman said the scene of the fire, an unoccupied structure at the 4 South and 115, had apparently burned in the previous 24 hours before the fire department was called out and was smoldering when they arrived on Monday.  A neighbor told firefighters the structure was fine on Saturday, so the building must have burned between that time and the time firefighters were called out on Monday, Chapman said.

He said the structure was completely destroyed. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Caption: Alamosa firefighters respond to the second structure fire call in two days. This unoccupied structure was destroyed before firefighters were notified on Monday. Courier photo by Jefferson Geiger