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NEW MANCHESTER -- A malfunctioning box fan is being blamed for a fire that destroyed a Hancock County mobile home early Friday morning.
New Manchester Volunteer fire crews were called around 5:30 a.m. to 25 Palm Lane, just off Shepherds Valley Road, for a report of a fire that had originated in the bedroom but soon after engulfed the entire mobile home in flames.
Firefighters from New Manchester, Newell and Lawrenceville worked more than three hours to extinguish the blaze.
New Manchester had five firefighters and an engine on scene; Newell used seven men, a pumper and a tanker; and Lawrenceville utilized a tanker along with two men.
Emergency crews had lined up along Shepherds Valley Road as they worked to put out the fire.
According to fire chief Roger Stewart, the call came from homeowner/resident Peggy Mike, who had stated the fire had originated from a box fan in a bedroom. She said the fan was making a noise in the middle of the night, and upon waking she saw the fan was on fire.
By the time initial fire crews arrived, the home was engulfed in flames. Assistance then was requested from neighboring fire departments.
" … when she called, she said the trailer was on fire," Stewart said. " … the fan was burning, and it spread through the rest of the trailer pretty quick."
According to Stewart, Mike's son and a dog also were in the trailer at the time, and all three escaped unharmed. No injuries were reported.
Fire crews extinguish the blaze by 9 a.m. and cleared the scene afterwards. The trailer was declared a total loss.
County ambulance crews also were on scene to provide assistance.