One person was killed in a mobile home fire off Pine Ridge Drive on March 1, according to the Lakeland Fire Department.
Lakeland firefighters responded to reports of a mobile home fire about 9:45 a.m. on March 1 in a North Lakeland neighborhood between U.S. 98 and Lake Gibson. The initial report was there were two people possibly trapped in the residence.
Firefighters arrived at the home to find the blaze in the mobile home’s carport area and immediately began working to contain the flames and search for residents. They found one adult dead, but the search and rescue operations continued as one person was unaccounted for.
A secondary search determined there were no other people in the mobile home, the fire department confirmed the second person had safely evacuated the home prior to firefighters’ arrival.
“Our firefighters arrived to challenging fire conditions and immediately began suppression and search operations. Despite their efforts, one life was lost. We are thankful the second occupant was able to escape safely,” Fire Chief Douglas Riley said in a statement. “Any loss of life is tragic, and we understand how deeply this loss affects the family and others connected to them.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office and Lakeland Police Department.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: One person dies in Lakeland mobile home fire
Reporting by Sara-Megan Walsh, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
