IN Firefighters Rescue Person Trapped in Burning Mobile Home
NEW CHICAGO — Firefighters had to make a daring rescue when a mobile home ignited on Thursday, spreading to two other trailers nearby. One female was found dead and another person was rescued from the flames.
Lake County Coroner Merrilee Frey released limited information about the victim, stating she was a Caucasian female who lived in the 500 block of East 37th Avenue in Hobart, where she died. The female's identity, age and manner of death has not yet been released, pending the notification of family members.
At 2:38 p.m. Thursday several agencies responded to a fire at Ravinia Pines, a mobile home community at 534 E. 37th Avenue on the border of Hobart and New Chicago, said Hobart Assistant Fire Chief John Reitz, who received information from New Chicago Chief Joe Eakins.
When first responders arrived, they saw heavy fire in one of the trailers, which spread to the two others on either side of it, he said. Some witnesses reported hearing an explosion, though officials have not yet said what the cause of the fire was.
There were residents trapped inside the trailer that originally caught fire, and crews rescued one person from the home. The person was airlifted to a Chicago hospital with serious injuries, Reitz said.
A female was found dead inside the same trailer.
Reitz said it took some time to get the fire under control and as of 5 p.m. crews were overhauling the scene, checking for hot spots and clearing debris after the flames had been extinguished.
The blaze destroyed the trailer that originally caught fire, while the other two were damaged.
Firefighters from New Chicago, Hobart, Lake Station, Portage, South Haven, Merrillville and Lake Ridge converged on the scene with multiple tankers.
The Indiana State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause and nature of the fire. Officials from the New Chicago Fire Department, the main agency that responded, were not immediately available for further information Thursday evening.
Barb Blashill of Valparaiso said a group is currently working to collect items to donate to those who were affected by the fire. Members of the public Facebook group Porter County Neighbors Helping Neighbors, created by Blashill and Jacinda Hinton, immediately began pulling together food, gift cards, clothes and other items to donate.
"One person said her stepdaughter lived in one of the mobile homes that was destroyed," Blashill said. "She was at home with her 3-year-old and 6-month-old when the fire started. Luckily, everyone was able to make it out safe."
Blashill said in the next 24 to 48 hours the group will gather donations together and possibly host a drive at a local venue or find a way to directly distribute the items to those who need them.
Blashill has reached out to management of Ravinia Pines to connect with residents and said she can be contacted at [email protected] or through the Porter County Neighbors Helping Neighbors page.
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