PORT TOWNSEND — The sole occupant of a recreational vehicle sustained minor injuries in a fire at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.
Firefighters from East Jefferson Fire-Rescue (EJFR) extinguished the blaze just after 1 a.m. Monday near the Jackman Street entrance.
The man was transported by ambulance to Jefferson Healthcare hospital for further evaluation and treatment, EJFR Assistant Chief Ted Krysinski said.
No other vehicles or structures were damaged, according to a news release from the fire department.
The man, a double amputee who is wheelchair-bound, was receiving emergency assistance Monday, said Steve Finley, a disaster program manager for the American Red Cross of the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas.
“We’re there for that emergency,” Finley said. “We give them a couple of days to get the pressure off and be safe. Most people find that’s the most helpful.
“As partners in the community, we work with all the other nonprofits. We all try to work together and take the pieces we can manage.”
The fire was ruled accidental, but the cause was not immediately known, Krysinski said.
“The materials used in the interiors or recreational vehicles can be highly flammable, creating an additional hazard on top of the on-board propane and fuel for the engine,” he said. “Because they can burn very quickly and intensively, it is especially important to be fire-wise if you are living in one or using it for recreation.”
Finley said a Red Cross case worker called Olympic Community Action Programs to connect the man to additional social services.
“They’re aware of this gentleman, and hospital social workers, they were helping him, too,” Finley said.
Krysinski said the man was in a hotel room Monday.
Private citizens helped at the scene with coats and blankets, he said.
________
Jefferson County Managing Editor Brian McLean can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 6, or at bmclean@peninsuladailynews.com.
