CARLSBORG — A Country Acres Lane mobile home was destroyed in a morning fire that shot 15-foot flames into the air Friday.
The lone occupant, Michael Emard, 25, was treated on the scene by Clallam County Fire District 3 medics for minor smoke inhalation and was released, said Peter Loeb, district spokesman.
Emard had to run about two-tenths of a mile to a neighbor’s home at about 8:30 a.m. to report the fire up a graveled driveway off Country Acres Lane, east of Hooker Road, after smelling smoke and seeing flames in the living room area.
“Apparently, there were working smoke detectors in the kitchen and hallway,” alerting the occupant to smoke in the blaze that was doused in less than an hour, Loeb said.
The cause of the blaze at 133 Country Acres Lane is under investigation, Loeb said.
“When Carlsborg Engine 33 arrived, the center of it was fully involved,” volunteer firefighter Capt. Steve Chinn said.
Lt. Chad Cate said flames reached about 15 feet high.
Quick fire suppression using compressed air-foam protected the surrounding area despite the home and contents being fully involved, Loeb said.
A water tanker had to be called in because there was no adjacent fire hydrant, he said.
The incident commander, Assistant Chief Tony Hudson, said structure fires can double in size every 60 seconds.
“With the time between the occupant’s discovering the fire, then going to the neighbors to use their phone, the blaze had ample time to rapidly grow,” Loeb said.
Loeb said the residence, built in 1979 and with an assessed value of $147,000, is a total loss.
Eighteen firefighters, both career and volunteer, worked to extinguish the blaze.
Dan Finn is listed as the owner of the mobile home, which was rented out through Landmark Property Management, Loeb said.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
