MONMOUTH — One person is homeless after an early-morning fire Wednesday ripped through his mobile home at West Village Trailer Park.
Charles Reed, who owned the home and lived there alone, was able to escape without injury, Monmouth Fire Chief Dan Roy said. The American Red Cross was called to provide clothing and temporary shelter for Reed, who did not have insurance.
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The home was destroyed, Roy said.
An investigator from the Office of State Fire Marshal was expected to examine the fire scene Wednesday afternoon.
A neighbor reported the fire shortly before 1 a.m. The first firefighters arrived at the park, located at the intersection of U.S. Route 202 and Blue Rock Road, to find the home engulfed in flames, Roy said. Firefighters focused their immediate attention on protecting homes on either side of the burning structure. Roy said the fire was under control in about an hour. Firefighters spent a couple more hours dousing hot spots and picking up their gear before leaving around 4 a.m.
Firefighters prevented the fire from damaging nearby homes, Roy said. Reed’s car, which was parked in the driveway, suffered heat damage to the front grill area but is salvageable, Roy said.
The home was equipped with working smoke detectors, but Reed discovered the fire before they sounded.
“He was awake at the time,” Roy said.
About three dozen firefighters from Leeds, Wales and Winthrop joined Monmouth crews in fighting the fire, Roy said.
The fire came in the midst of a busy stretch for Leeds, Monmouth and Wales firefighters. Crews from Monmouth and Wales spent part of Tuesday afternoon at a crash on Route 126 in Wales that injured two people. Many of the same firefighters were called later to the fire at West Village Trailer Park. Firefighters from the three communities then were called to a structure fire that broke out around 11:30 a.m. on Sumner Road in Leeds.
Craig Crosby — 621-5642 ccrosby@centralmaine.com Twitter: @CraigCrosby4
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