ust before 5 A.M Friday morning, flames tore through a mobile home in Bradenton’s Pine Haven community, located at 6320 14th Street West.
Crews from Manatee County and Cedar Hammock Fire responded, they tell ABC7 they were able to extinguish the flames within 10 minutes.
When the fire began, inside the mobile home were residents M D and her long-time boyfriend, J E. The couple told ABC7 they were sleeping when the flames started.
“I was running outside calling for help,” said D.
When neighbors heard her screams, they called 911.
“There was light coming in the windows of my house, I thought it was daylight,” said neighbor and friend R A, who lives directly in front of the burning home.
A quickly realized the light was not the sun, but flames.
“My shirt was on fire,” said J E who was trapped in the home. The resident is disabled, so he told ABC7 he had to crawl out of the house to escape.
Cedar Hammock Fire Inspector A C interviewed the family for his investigation when the residents told him about their cats.
“One of the occupants believes she lost two cats so that’s upsetting,” said C.
D said she hopes they ran out but believes they may have been killed in the fire.
The residents lost everything in their home and their vehicle was also badly charred and destroyed.
“I’m devastated,” said E. “But we’re alive,” we’ll start over,” he said.
The couple told ABC7 they believe a cigarette started the flame, they said it fell and hit the wire of an oxygen tank inside the home.
E said the home has six oxygen tanks inside.
The fire is still under investigation.
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Source: mysuncoast
