Volunteers get upper hand on mobile home fire near La Center

Mobile home fires in rural areas often result in a pile of smoldering rubble, but a small crew of volunteer firefighters from Fire District 10 won praise Thursday for quickly gaining the upper hand on such a fire Thursday.

Volunteers responding to the 4:52 p.m. call arrived to find a double wide mobile home at 33305 N.E. 102nd Ave. fully involved in flame. With limited staff, they quickly set up a defensive approach that stopped the fire’s advance, said Tim Dawdy, battalion chief for Clark County Fire & Rescue, which responded to help the volunteers.

“It was a remarkable stop for a mobile home fire in such a remote area,” Dawdy said.

Dawdy said the fire appears to have started in a shed or patio area behind the home and spread to the main structure. A neighbor spotted the fire and alerted the couple who lived there and had not yet noticed the fire. They evacuated safely.

Arriving units from Fire District 13 in Yacolt and Clark County Fire & Rescue helped the Fire District 10 volunteers extinguish the fire and mop up. Without fire hydrants, firefighters made use of water tenders.

Dawdy reported that damage was significant but not total. Much of the structure remained.

Red Cross had been called to assist the couple, and the fire will be investigated by the Clark County Fire Marshal.

The home is owned by Edward Rodda, according to county property records.