Gilbert family seeks answers months after fire they say was caused by SRP transformer

GILBERT (AZFamily) — A Gilbert family asked Arizona’s Family for help after they said an SRP transformer caught fire and set their field and fence ablaze.

It had been seven months since the fire, and the family said they had heard almost nothing from SRP about how the company planned to fix the damage.

They said they were not asking for a payout — just for their property to be repaired. And after months of silence, Arizona’s Family learned new information.

If you asked Adrian Zvirgzdins, he would tell you he stays calm under pressure. But seven months ago, that was put to the test.

Their pasture next to their home, which sits under an SRP power line, suddenly went up in flames. The family panicked.

“My son came out and helped. He had just turned — his 12th birthday was the week before,” Zvirgzdins said. “He was freaking out.”

Still, Zvirgzdins tried to keep calm.

“Like, no time for freaking out,” he said.

Video from that day showed the transformer attached to the power pole on fire. It was eventually put out, and someone from SRP arrived.

“He looked at it and said, clearly, this is what started the fire — our transformer being on fire,” Zvirgzdins said.

He said the SRP representative also told him not to touch anything.

“He told us not to do anything with taking bushes down to taking fence down because it gives the impression that there — it may give the impression that we feel that there’s some sort of responsibility on our end,” Zvirgzdins said.

Seven months later, the family was still left with a melted fence and burnt landscape.

“For months, they’ve waited for an answer or communication from SRP,” Zvirgzdins said. “Anytime my wife gets a hold of somebody over there, they kind of blow her off and say, ‘Let us call you back tomorrow.’ And then they never call back.”

Arizona’s Family reached out to SRP and received the following response from a spokesperson:

“Date of loss – April 3, 2025

The SRP claims department has been working with the customer on her claim for damage to her property since April 8.

After a site visit and investigation, SRP is unable to prove liability. We have reason to believe an animal interfered with the electric lines and created an event that caused the fire. SRP is sensitive to her loss and offered her compensation without accepting liability, but that was declined.

We spoke to her on 6/24, 7/8, 7/11 and 9/23.

The customer cannot provide names of employees who allegedly provided information regarding liability, so we are unable to confirm or deny whether the conversation happened. It’s important to know that SRP’s legal department reserves the right to claim or deny liability.”

The spokesperson later said the animal in question was a cat.

Zvirgzdins said he does not have a cat — only ground-bound livestock more than 50 feet away in a different pasture.

“I want them to give us back what they took,” Zvirgzdins said.

But Friday, his patience was wearing thin. The family said this was the first time they heard SRP’s explanation for what caused the fire — and only after Arizona’s Family asked. If the issue is not resolved soon, they said, they plan to get an attorney.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.