VALLE VISTA: Family pet believed killed in fire that destroyed mobile home
VALLE VISTA – At least one person was left homeless and a dog was believed to have perished after a fire broke out inside a residence, Wednesday, May 11. The fire, that destroyed a mobile-home, erupted at the Pueblo Sereno Mobile Home Park on the 25000 block of Lincoln Avenue in the unincorporated community of Valle Vista.
A firefighters works to extinguish the flames at a burning mobile home. Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents photo
Twenty-four firefighters from eight engine companies responded to the fire at 2:45 p.m., according to Cal fire Public Information officer Tawny Cabral. They were assisted by a breathing support unit, a brush rig and a paramedic squad.
Fire officials from Cal Fire’s Little Lake Fire Station #26 were the first to arrive at the scene, arriving within minutes of the dispatched call. They found “one double-wide mobile-home fully involved in fire,” said Cabral. Other mobile homes and outbuildings were also being threatened by the blaze.
When firefighters arrived, they discovered the fire had spread to several palm trees in front of the home, but firefighters quickly extinguished the fire in the burning trees.
Although the fire was contained shortly after 3 p.m., thick, choking smoke continued to pour out of the residence for nearly an hour. Firefighters at the scene attributed the long-burning fire and smoke to stacks of personal belongings spread throughout the victim’s home.
The owner of the home was reportedly away from the residence when the fire was reported and she returned to find her home in flames.
Firefighters take a break and cool down after the fire was extinguished. Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents photo
Although the homeowner was not at the residence when the fire broke out, her two dogs were. One of the victim’s dogs somehow made it out of the home after the fire broke out and was later reunited with the thankful owner. The dog was reportedly uninjured.
Firefighters at the scene said they believed the dog had possibly jumped through a glass window to escape the flames. The homeowner’s second dog was nowhere to be found.
Several hours after the fire, the victim’s other dog had still not been located. It was not immediately known if the dog escaped the burning mobile-home like the first dog or of it perished in the blaze.
American Red Cross personnel were requested to the scene to assist those displaced by the fire.
The origin of the fire, which caused an estimated $30,000 in damage according to Cabral, is under investigation.
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Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents video
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Trevor Montgomery runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News and Anza Valley Outlook and also writes for Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg and breaking his back in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 26 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.