PORT ANGELES — A man was taken to Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles with burns and a recreational vehicle was destroyed in an early morning fire Thursday at the Monroe Estates RV Park.
The cause of the fire at the park, at 2442 E. U.S. Highway 101, remained under investigation later Thursday. It is suspected to be accidental, according to a press release from Clallam County 2 Fire-Rescue.
Clallam County 2 Fire-Rescue personnel were dispatched at 1 a.m. Thursday to a report of an RV that was engulfed in flames at the RV park just east of Port Angeles, according to a press release from the fire district.
Firefighters from Station 21 in Gales Addition and volunteer personnel found that the 25-foot RV also had electrical wires down across it and another RV. Mutual aid was requested from the Port Angeles Fire Department.
The RV’s lone occupant, who was unidentified, had escaped on his own and was being tended to by neighbors before being treated by an Olympic Ambulance paramedic unit and taken to Olympic Medical Center with burn injuries, the release stated. He was unavailable to be interviewed by firefighters and no update on his condition was available Thursday afternoon.
The fire was knocked down quickly — firefighters remained on-scene for a little more than an hour —but the RV was completely destroyed, firefighters said.
A neighboring RV, which had electrical lines fall across it, sustained heat damage on the side nearest the fire, the release said.
That RV’s occupant was awakened by her dog and escaped without injury, firefighters said. She was being assisted by neighbors when firefighters arrived.
Power was shut off due to the live downed power lines. A Clallam County Public Utility District crew repaired the lines and restored power.
Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue responded with one command unit with eight personnel plus one fire engine and one aid unit. The Port Angeles Fire Department responded with one engine and two personnel. Olympic Ambulance responded with two personnel. No firefighters or other residents were injured.
“The fire district would like to say thank you to all the neighbors that helped each other out and provided comfort to the victim and impacted residents.
“Fires that occur in travel trailers can spread fast and highlight the importance of smoke alarms to alert occupants early so they can escape,” Clallam County 2 Fire-Rescue Chief Jake Patterson stated in the press release.
“It has not been confirmed whether the trailer was equipped with smoke alarms due to the occupant receiving medical treatment.”
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached at brian.gawley@soundpublishing.com.
