Accidental Death in Home Fire

Home fires can be extremely dangerous, and they can result in severe and often fatal burn injuries. According to a recent article in U-T San Diego, an Oceanside woman died after her mobile home started on fire last week. In addition to this accidental death, the victim’s husband suffered serious burn injuries on his face and upper body.

Mobile Home Fire Causes Serious and Fatal Injuries

The victim of the recent fire-related death was in her 60s, and emergency responders found her inside her bathtub. She and her husband lived in a mobile home at Lamplighter Mobile Home Park on North River Road in Oceanside. According to reports, firefighters arrived at the mobile home park at around 6:30 p.m. after receiving reports of “a double-wide home on fire” with “three people inside.”

Members of the fire department found a man inside the mobile home who suffered serious burn injuries and smoke inhalation. He was identified as the husband of the deceased, and he was rushed to the burn unit at UC San Diego Medical Center. Felipe Rodriguez, the Oceanside Battalion Chief, reported that the man “was in serious condition but was expected to survive.”

The adult son of the deceased was also reported to have been in the mobile home at the time of the fire, but emergency responders did not locate him. Two dogs also were found underneath the home and had suffered from burns, but they’re expected to survive.

The Oceanside police department, along with fire officials, are investigating the cause of the fire. In addition to the serious and fatal bodily injuries that occurred in the blaze, authorities predict that the home fire caused approximately $150,000 in financial damage, as the “mobile home was determined to be a complete loss.”

Home Fire Statistics

How often do home fires result in serious and fatal personal injuries? And, how frequently do these blazes lead to other significant damage? According to a news release from the U.S. Fire Administration, the total number of deaths and injuries from home fires has declined in recent years. However, the numbers are still higher than you might think:

• In 2011, nearly 1.4 million home fires occurred throughout the country. That number actually shows a significant decrease from just a decade prior, when nearly 20 percent more home fires were reported.
• Fire-related deaths have decreased by more than 20 percent in the last decade, yet more than 3,000 people die each year from fire-related injuries.
• The total number of serious (but not fatal) fire-related injuries hasn’t declined as sharply (only by about 5 percent over the last decade). More than 17,000 Americans suffer injuries each year in fires.
• Home fires result in billions of dollars of damage. Indeed, fires lead to more than $11 billion in damages annually.

What causes home fires? The U.S. Fire Administration lists the following as the most frequent causes of fatal home fires:

• Cooking;
• Smoking;
• Heating; and
• Electrical malfunctions.

Fire-related injuries and deaths often result from a homeowner’s or renter’s own negligence, but they also happen because of another party’s negligence. If you or a loved one has been injured in a home fire and has suffered serious burn injuries, it’s important to discuss your case with an experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer.

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