One dies in trailer fire

February 21, 2006|by ERIN CUNNINGHAM

HAGERSTOWN

One person died Monday night in a South Prospect Street trailer fire that started about 10 p.m., a fire official said.

Hagerstown Fire Department Chief Gary Hawbaker would not release the victim's name or sex, pending notification of family.

The fire at 280 S. Prospect St., Trailer 2, was being investigated by the Hagerstown Fire Marshal late Monday, Hawbaker said.

A woman who was in the trailer at the time of the fire was taken to Washington County Hospital by ambulance, Hawbaker said. There were two people in the home at the time of the fire, he said.

When firefighters arrived, the trailer near Park Circle was on fire, with heavy smoke showing. One person was inside at the time, Hawbaker said.

Marianne Rickett, who lives in a trailer near the one destroyed by the fire, said she was inside her home when she heard sirens. She said she looked outside and saw her neighbor's home on fire.

"It was just engulfed in flames," she said.

Rickett said a woman in her 50s lived in the trailer.

Hawbaker said Monday night it was too soon to tell what had caused the fire.

Several Hagerstown fire departments responded to the scene. It took firefighters about 10 minutes to out out the blaze, Hawbaker said.

Hagerstown Police blocked off parts of Virginia Avenue while firefighters worked at the scene.

This was at least the fourth trailer fire in Washington County in 2006. While the cause of this fire was not known, the others were caused by a space heater, heating fuel and a dryer, fire investigators have said.

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