The spirit of community is alive and well in Peoria.
Neighborly action helped stop a fire from spreading in the Pleasant Valley community of north Peoria last weekend.
One of those neighborhood first responders happened to be Mesquite District Interim Councilmember Brad Shafer.
He told the Independent he and his family were hanging out by the pool relaxing on Sunday afternoon when they heard an explosion and saw black smoke at a neighbor’s house.
Being a third-generation veteran and first responder, Shafer jumped into action and ran out front to find fire on the side of the house two properties down. Another neighbor had heard the blast as well, so they scaled the wall and turned on two hoses at the house.
Other neighbors pounded on the front door and called 911.
Meanwhile, residents of the home, Dave Rivera and his wife, were out running errands and were alerted by their doorbell and surveillance app.
“We booked it home and called our next door neighbors. Both were out of town. So we called Brad and we called his wife. Of course, they were preoccupied with the fire,” Rivera said.
The fire was out by the time the fire department and Rivera arrived.
Fire officials completed an inspection of the home and determined it to be safe and secure.
Public safety officials on scene all had a little laugh when they leaned a council member had a hand in saving the day.
“They even gave me a little kid's fire hat,” chuckled Shafer, who is a candidate for a permanent seat on the council in the Nov. 8 general election. “It’s devastating to see your neighbors experience something like a house fire, but it’s amazing to see all my neighbors outside helping each other and offering to make dinners or whatever was needed. ...This is what it means to love your neighbor.”
There were no injuries and minimal damage to Rivera’s property. Cause of the fire was not determined, but Rivera said his best guess were construction materials contained in the dumpster that may have combusted alongside the house.
Rivera said he moved to Peoria from Gilbert in September, where he only knew a couple people in his neighborhood. Today he knows everybody on his block and said the neighborhood has been welcoming.
“If my neighbors had waited for the fire department to come, it would have been much worse. It probably would have spread to the house,” he said. “It’s a huge testament to the community and neighbors. And to know that a council member was involved. It speaks volumes to Brad’s character as a neighbor and a friend and hopefully as our future councilman. It was potentially a tragic event that was mitigated due to the action of my neighbors.”
Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.
Meet Philip Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.
Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater.
Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.
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