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13 people, 3 dogs displaced after fire at South Florida mobile home park

By Jared Leone, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Fire Engine Lights FILE PHOTO: A fire spread to three mobile homes in a crowded South Florida trailer park on Friday, leaving 13 people and three dogs displaced, officials said. (Photographer:Jorg Hackemann/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

By Jared Leone, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

MIAMI — A fire spread to three mobile homes in a crowded South Florida trailer park on Friday, leaving 13 people and three dogs displaced, officials said.

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The City of Miami Police and Fire Rescue crews arrived around 9 a.m. to find the units at Paradise Trailer Park fully engulfed, WPLG reported.

“Immediately, we began a quick fire attack and tried to extinguish multiple units simultaneously,” Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez told WSVN. “There was one unit that we were able to make entry into and search for victims, and luckily there were no victims inside.”

It took firefighters about 40 minutes to put out the blaze. Ultimately, the fire spread to three units and left a fourth with heavy smoke damage, WPLG reported.

“Because when you’re dealing with mobile homes, they have a lot of plastics and wood, and with tight areas to be able to access and these mobile homes very close to each other, it can make it a challenge,” Sanchez said.

Fire officials are investigating the cause of the blaze. The Red Cross said it will help the affected families.

“I have never seen a fire get so hot so quickly,” victim Juan Miguel Castro told WFOR. “You could not see all of this. It was all black. I was getting ready to take a shower when I started hearing a commotion and started smelling plastic burning. And at the little window by the bathroom, I saw a light flickering and I started to hear screaming. When I opened the door next door the trailer in front was engulfed in flames so I pushed the door out and I came out running. My roommate, I screamed at him get out but he went back in to get the cat.”

“Now all I have left is my umbrella and my pants and 2 bags I managed to save.”

Ramon Puerto lives next to the unit that first caught fire, WSVN reported. He was able to move his truck and tools but everything else was destroyed.

“We have absolutely nothing, but the Red Cross is providing support,” he said. “We don’t know what’s next.”

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