FULTON — A maintenance contractor at a Newville mobile home park is being hailed as a hero for rescuing two people from their burning home Friday morning. The two were rushed to UW-Hospital with severe burns, and remained in critical condition as of the last update at 6 p.m. Friday.
According to a news release, Lakeside Fire-Rescue and Rock County Sheriff’s Office units were alerted by the Rock County 9-1-1 Center at 9:14 a.m. on Friday, May 22, of a call reporting a mobile home on fire on Highview Lane within the Rock River Leisure Estates complex on Ellendale Road in Newville.
The caller was a neighbor reporting flames and heavy smoke from the residence. Lakeside Fire-Rescue units from Stations 2 (Edgerton) and 3 (Milton) were dispatched.
The 9-1-1 Center began receiving additional calls at 9:16 a.m. reporting two people with severe burns, at which time Lakeside Fire-Rescue upgraded the incident to a Mutual Aid Box Alarm System “working still,” which added additional fire and EMS units from Janesville, Stoughton, Deerfield and Evansville Fire Departments.
The first arriving Lakeside units confirmed a park-model mobile home with heavy fire showing at 9:21 (7 minutes – 33 seconds), and two adults (one adult man and one adult woman) needing immediate medical attention for burn injuries.
Lakeside Paramedics started emergency medical care, and were assisted upon arrival by Janesville Paramedics. The first of the two patients was transported directly to the UW-Hospital burn unit by ambulance, and the second patient was transferred by paramedics to a medical helicopter out of Mercy-Rockford, and subsequently was also transported to the UW-Hospital burn unit in Madison.
Lakeside Paramedics used the helipad at Edgerton Hospital to land the air-ambulance, and were assisted during the transfer by Edgerton Hospital personnel.
A Rock River Leisure Estates employee who was working in the area when the fire started is being credited with getting the two adults out of the mobile home prior to the arrival of fire units, which according to Lakeside fire officials was key in the two people not being trapped in the rapidly growing fire; and is being called a hero for risking his own life by entering the home and getting the people out.
The employee did receive minor heat and smoke injuries, was checked on scene by Deer-Grove EMS Paramedics, but did not require transport to a hospital.
Lakeside and Janesville fire crews started by focusing on fire that was threatening the mobile homes on both sides, when two LP gas tanks on the side of the mobile home began venting LP gas from their pressure relief valves indicating the two tanks were in danger of exploding.
Fire crews were repositioned a safe distance from the tanks, and additional hose lines were deployed to start cooling down the LP tanks until temperatures within the tanks were cooled to the point that they were no longer dangerous. Lakeside and Janesville crews were assisted by fire units from Stoughton and Evansville Fire upon their arrival.
The fire was under control at 10:22 a.m., approximately 68 minutes from the original call.
The mobile home is a total loss, with heat damage to a vehicle parked in the driveway and to the two mobile homes on both sides.
Lakeside Fire-Rescue and Rock County Sheriff’s Office conducted a preliminary investigation, and have ruled the fire unintentional/accidental. Investigators are waiting to be able to talk with individuals who were in the home at the time the fire started before confirming an exact cause.
As of 6:00 p.m. this evening both patients remain in the burn unit at UW-Hospitals in Madison in critical condition.
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