News

Hutto boy injured in garage fire

By Nancy Royden
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 10:47 AM CST

FIRE SCENE: Steven Joshua Cuellar, 11, of Hutto was badly burned Sunday night following a fire in this detached garage on Farley Street. He is now in a Galveston hospital to receive treatment for his injuries. Garry Guthrie of Guthrie Cleaners, which is located not far from the home, is accepting monetary donations to assist the family with expenses until he can set up a bank account. photo by Nancy Royden

Fund being established to aid family

A Hutto boy was badly burned Sunday following a fire that destroyed a detached garage on Farley Street.

Steven Joshua Cuellar, an 11-year-old fifth-grade student at Cottonwood Creek Elementary School, is now in the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Galveston with severe burn wounds to his body.

Mark Moellenberg, chief of Hutto Fire Rescue, said Monday that he could not offer many details about the blaze or associated injuries, but he did say that personnel from Hutto Fire Rescue went to the house at 8:38 p.m. to provide assistance and were there until 10:34 p.m.

“There was a fire yesterday evening in the detached garage... About the only thing I can say is there were juveniles involved, and there were possibly some flammable liquids involved,” he said.

Moellenberg said everyone was out of the garage when personnel from Hutto Fire Rescue arrived to extinguish the fire, which did not spread to the nearby house.

Miguel Mejia, Cuellar's brother, confirmed Monday that his brother is in the Shriners in Galveston and may stay for at least a couple of weeks.

According to the Shriners Web site, the Galveston hospital treats patients with acute burns.

Garry Guthrie, owner of Guthrie Cleaners located near the house where the garage caught fire, said Tuesday he set up an account at First State Bank in Hutto on Ed Schmidt Boulevard to raise money to assist the family with expenses. He said he will accept donations at his business at 307 Farley St.

Mario Perez, who operates Mario's Mexican Restaurant at 209 East St. is also accepting donations for the fund at FSB in conjunction with Guthrie.