MEAD, Wash. – Flames destroyed a Mead mobile home during an early morning fire Thursday that killed one woman.
The fire broke out around 5:00 a.m. in the 400 block of E. Bull Run Lane.
Sheldon Watkins was smoking a cigarette outside his home early Thursday when he heard crackling noises. He assumed it was from a bonfire until he heard screams. He ran to the home and saw the structure engulfed in fire and people yelling in the street.
Watkins used a potted plant to break a window, but it was not enough to gain access. He was able to get inside the home through a door, but the smoke made it difficult for him to see in the dark room.
After returning to his home to get a flash light, Watkins ran back to the burning mobile home. He entered to find the victim’s lifeless body lying facedown. He attempted to pull her out by the legs, but the heat became overbearing. Witnesses outside yelled at Watkins to leave. He was unable to save the woman.
Three adults and two children lived in the home. Four of them, including the children, escaped safely. Emergency teams treated them for smoke inhalation.
About an hour after the fire broke out, flames could be seen rising high from the roof. They were extinguished about 90 minutes after the original call, but smoke continued to billow out the remnants of the structure for hours.
The mobile home was a loss. Firefighters reportedly had a difficult time tackling the fire because of the structure’s close proximity to neighboring homes.
Neighbors gathered in the street to watch as emergency crews tackled the flames. One area resident described her neighborhood as a close-knit community and said they will rally around the victims.
The fire department determined the fire was accidental. Investigators blame improper disposal of fireplace ashes.
The Red Cross is providing temporary housing as well as replacement of lost food and clothing for the homeowner’s caregiver, her significant other, and three children who lived in the mobile home with the homeowner and her daughter.
An account has been set up at American West Bank for the victim's daughter under the name John Richter.
