 Child, candle blamed in fire
12/03/2004 - By Amy
Dalrymple adalrymple@forumcomm.com
A 5-year-old playing with a candle caused the fire that destroyed a
Moorhead family’s mobile home Wednesday evening, fire officials said.
Fire Marshal Rich Duysen said Thursday the accidental fire started
about 5:20 p.m. in a center bedroom of the home in Greenwood Mobile Home
Park.
The home’s owner, Elizabeth Perez, another adult and three children
ages 5, 3 and 10 months are staying temporarily in a motel provided by the
Minn-Kota chapter of the Red Cross.
The fire destroyed the mobile home and most of the family’s
belongings.
“From what I could see, everything is lost,” said Robin Martin,
manager of Greenwood.
The Red Cross provided the family with clothing and food, said Dave
Pattengale, emergency services director.
The Salvation Army also responded to the fire.
Greenwood residents were pulling together Thursday by collecting items
for the family, Martin said.
The Greenwood office at 1700 3rd Ave. S. is accepting donations.
“They do have some very good neighbors and friends,” Pattengale
said.
Six people were in the home when the fire started but escaped with no
injuries, Duysen said. Perez reported the fire.
Two grandchildren live with Perez, Duysen said. Perez’s adult
daughter and another child were visiting from Nebraska because Perez had
recently returned from having surgery, he said.
The woman has owned the home on lot 113 for 10 years, Martin said.
“She’s really been a good tenant,” Martin said. “I’m worried
about the kids.”
Duysen said the home’s electrical system was in good shape and it had
a working smoke alarm.
He said he ruled out all other possible causes of the fire.
Also on Thursday, Dilworth fire officials continued to investigate the
cause of a fire in an apartment building at 102 Center Ave. E.
That fire was reported at 5:46 p.m. Wednesday, 25 minutes after Perez
reported the Moorhead fire.
The fire started in the kitchen of a second-story apartment, said
Assistant Dilworth Fire Chief Kurt Kennedy.
No one was in the apartment when the fire was reported.
The power was not connected to the unit, Kennedy said.
Fire damage was confined to the unit where the blaze started, Kennedy
said.
Four of the building’s five residents returned home Thursday,
building owner John Carlson said.
The resident of the unit damaged by fire is staying with friends and
family while the interior is repaired, Carlson said.
Red Cross staff also responded to the Dilworth fire to make sure all
residents had a place to stay, Pattengale said.
“It’s quite rare that we need to respond to two fires at the same
time,” he said.
Readers can reach Forum reporter
Amy Dalrymple at (701) 241-5590
[
Home ] [2004 News] | 
