Mobile home destroyed in weekend blaze
TONY BROWN/DAILY FORUM
Local firefighters battled a pair of blazes over the weekend, including the fire that destroyed this mobile home on Jade Road near Maryville’s north city limits. No one was home at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries.
Maryville and Polk Township firefighters fought a pair of blazes over the weekend, one of which destroyed a mobile home in a trailer park just east of Jade Road near the north city limits.
According to trailer park residents Jennifer Hernandez and Ronnie Fuller, firefighters were called to the scene around 9:30 p.m. Saturday to find the home of Lawrence and Mary Riley heavily involved with smoke and flame.
The Rileys are Hernandez’s parents, and Hernandez and Fuller live in another trailer just across a narrow lane from the one that burned.
Hernandez said no one was hurt in the blaze, and that her parents were not at home when the house trailer caught fire because they had driven to the aid of a family member who was having car trouble.
Though the residence was completely gutted, Hernandez praised firefighters for their work in extinguishing the flames and for managing to save a small mirror engraved with the name and likeness of her late brother.
“They were very compassionate. They did a good job,” said Hernandez, adding that the mirror was practically her parents’ sole remaining possession other than the clothes on their backs.
According to reports, firefighters remained on the scene until about midnight.
Hernandez said her parents stayed with relatives Sunday night and had been contacted by the Red Cross with regard to temporary lodging and other emergency assistance.
The other weekend fire occurred early Saturday and damaged the attic of a large, two-story house at 520 N. Buchanan St.
It appeared that the upper portion of the house sustained significant damage, but that firefighters were able to douse the flames before the structure was undermined.
Details regarding the cause of the fire and any injuries were not immediately available.
