Carefree mountainside home collapses in fire
A large fire collapsed a Carefree home on Tuesday morning but caused no injuries, according to Rural Metro Fire.
A little after 3 a.m., Rural Metro responded to reports of a large fire at the home near Carefree Highway and Tom Darlington Drive. When they arrived, fire crews saw the mountainside home on fire with two of its three levels fully engulfed in flames.
The home was vacant due to renovations that were nearly finished when the fire started. Once fire crews confirmed there was no one in the home, they began a defensive attack on the fire as the house’s structure became unstable.
Due to the size of the fire, additional crews were called in from other operations, explained Rural Metro spokesperson Shawn Gilleland.
“Crews battled the fire for many hours and only recently began disassembling equipment and packing it back on the trucks preparing to return to their areas,” added Gilleland.
According to Rural Metro Fire, the property owner speculated there may have been an electrical cause to the fire, though the official cause has yet to be determined.
Fire crews were expected to remain at the scene to address any flare-ups and conduct mop-up operations.
A listing on popular real estate website Zillow described the home as: “The famous and iconic Wedding Cake House, one of Carefree’s most wellknown, recognizable, and classiest landmarks on a jaw-dropping homesite, overlooking the Boulders Resort/ city lights, and golf courses.”
A note advises website visitors that the property was not for sale or for rent on Zillow.
Although it is called a “wedding cake house,” it should not be confused with the castle shaped like a wedding cake along Loop 202 near Van Buren and 52nd streets. That’s Tovrea Castle at Carraro Heights.