PORT HADLOCK — A Fireball recreational vehicle lived up to its name Thursday, exploding mere minutes after the occupant stepped out of it.
“This man was extremely fortunate as he was not in the trailer at the time of the explosion,” said Bill Beezley, East Jefferson Fire-Rescue spokesman.
“If he had been inside, he would have most likely been killed.”
The 25-foot fifth wheel RV parked in the 100 block of West Price Street was destroyed by the fire that followed the explosion at about 11:45 a.m., Beezley said.
No one was hurt, Beezley said, but the man living there, who was not identified, was left homeless.
Neighbors up to three blocks away were shaken by the large explosion and called 9-1-1, he said.
Four minutes
Fire crews from the Chimacum Fire Station arrived four minutes, after the call to find the RV fully engulfed in flames.
The fire was declared out at 12:06 p.m. by Assistant Chief Brian Tracer, 20 minutes after the call was received, Beezley said, adding it was a demonstration of a fast, efficient response.
It was unknown Thursday what caused the explosion.
The occupant said he had been inside all morning and had just left the vehicle to get some sandpaper from a nearby garage for a project.
During the few minutes he was away, the RV exploded.
The occupant said the stove wasn’t on and that the vehicle had no heating devices.
The owner of the RV, who lived nearby, said it was uninsured, Beezley said. The owner was unidentified.
The American Red Cross was contacted to provide assistance to the now homeless man, who also lost all of his possessions.
Firefighters from Quilcene Fire Rescue, Naval Magazine Indian Island and Port Ludlow Fire and Rescue assisted.
