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The owner of this mobile home, located at Santa Paula West Mobile Home Park, knocked down a fire before it could do much damage Tuesday evening. |
Mobile home owner extinguishes electrical fire, damage minimal
April 20, 2012
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
The owner of a mobile home knocked down a fire before it could do much damage Tuesday, according to a Santa Paula Fire Department spokesman.
SPFD Captain Steve Lazenby said the April 17 incident was reported at 7:34 p.m. and SPFD Engines 81 and 82, along with a Ventura County Fire unit, were dispatched to the report of a structure fire in the Santa Paula West Mobile Home Park.
When Engine 26 arrived on scene at the park, located at 15433 W. Telegraph Road, initially firefighters reported there was no smoke showing and they would investigate. “The electricity had been turned off by the homeowner as soon as he had discovered the fire and he had applied water to the area of the origin of the fire with a garden hose,” said Lazenby.
The homeowner reported his smoke detector had activated, but it is unknown if the alarm is what first alerted him to the problem. A second county engine that was enroute to the scene was cancelled and, Lazenby said, “Fire attack efforts were confined to removing the exterior aluminum siding and interior walls in the area of the burned parts of the building” to expose charred areas. Then firefighters determined that there was no extension of fire into other parts of the walls, porch, flooring or ceiling.
The investigation showed the cause of the fire was electrical, with the burn pattern and the charring starting at the area where the electrical wiring inside the wall was burned through. Lazenby said the homeowner said they had not noticed any electrical problems or lights flickering recently, often a warning to fire danger.
“Less than one gallon of water was used by responding fire units from a class A water extinguisher on several smoldering parts of the structure,” but Lazenby noted the electricity was left off and the residents were advised to seek shelter for the night outside of the home. Lazenby estimated damage to the structure at about $3,000, and there was no damage to the contents of the mobile home.
