Residents press council on RV-park fires; town outlines annual inspections and code enforcement steps

Multiple residents urged the Town of Quartzsite to tighten safety in local RV parks after recent fires, and town staff outlined a new inspection approach and enforcement steps.

At the public-comment portion, residents (including Michelle Ryan and Terry Mullen) described close calls and a recent trailer fire that destroyed property and could have been fatal. They asked the council to consider increased maintenance standards, code enforcement and possible annual propane or safety inspections.

Town Manager Ferguson responded that the town has begun an annual review of RV parks in partnership with the fire district. He said inspectors and fire personnel are reviewing parks, meeting with managers and owners, documenting life-safety issues, and issuing deadlines to correct them. Ferguson noted that state law and building codes provide pathways to require corrections and to pursue court action if owners do not comply.

Council members discussed how the town schedules inspections (about one per week given the number of parks), the need for thorough documentation to support enforcement, and the budgetary implications of any staffing or program changes. The manager said staff will analyze inspection reports and return with firm corrective plans and timelines for each property identified as a safety risk.

Residents and council described the inspections as a public-safety priority; staff emphasized giving owners reasonable opportunity to remedy violations while maintaining public-safety oversight.