1 adult, 2 children dead in mobile home park fire
Three people, including two grade-school children, died in a mobile home fire in San Jose Tuesday, according to reports.
The fire, which was reported at 12:33 p.m., occurred at the Golden Wheel Mobile Home Park on the 900 block of Golden Wheel Park Drive, San Jose Fire Capt. Mike Van Elgort said. It was knocked by 1:05 p.m.
Firefighters arrived at 12:40 p.m. and found the mobile home, located in the rear of the park, fully engulfed in flames. Only the back fifth of the home was intact and everything else was charred and collapsed.
Firefighters found one adult and two children inside, but it took them a while to find the second child.
The bodies were so badly burned that it required the San Jose coroner to positively identify them.
The grandfather was at home with the two children.
“We got a report from one neighbor that they heard a pop or a small explosion and may have seen the grandfather catch fire and collapse inside the structure,” Elgort, said.
He said that given the construction of mobile homes, they tend to burn quickly.
“You just do not have time to try to put the fire out yourself or make any decisions. It’s get everybody out,” Elgort said.
The origin and cause of the fire is under investigation. The fire captain indicated that the fire was accidental.
“We take pride in minimizing loss of life here and the triple fatality fire is a great tragedy.”
“This is a tough one,” said Elgort, who sent his thoughts and prayers to the family.