While there are legitimate fires in modern manufactured homes, some of those fires are actually acts of arson. Both of the stories that follow, according to the respective sources, are alleged or potential acts of arson.
On December 17, 2014 a “suspicious” fire occurred in a manufactured home community near Kalamazoo, Michigan. MLiveNews reports that the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety received a report of smoke coming from a home, and upon arrival, found that a fire had been set underneath the home.
“When we arrived on the scene we were told that no one was inside the trailer,” Lt. Jeff VanderWiere said, using the T word not about an towable RV, when in this case, he should have said “manufactured home” (MH). “We did a search of the trailer regardless, but found that no one inside the residence.”
VanderWiere added, “At this time we’re going to deem (the fire) suspicious until we get an actual determination of what caused it.” The fireman suggested that any utilities that might be running underneath the MH could be a possible cause, which would need to be investigaged.
On the other side of the U.S. near San Diego, a manufactured home fire occurred on December 26, in Campo, California. Authorities said it appeared that the resident intentionally set the fire while still inside. Fortunately, the fire was put out before damaging other homes. It did, however, damage to that residence.
As reported by ABC Channel 10 News, “Fire crews said by the time they got there, the woman was out of the house.” In addition, Captian Freddy Arambula with Cal Fire said, “At the time when we found out about the occupant, the sheriff let us know that they had her in custody.”
Deputies reportedly said the woman was taken to the hospital for a mental evaluation.
An industry veteran told MHProNews off the record that some such fires are a case of “the spontaneous combustion that occurs when there is friction between the mortgage or financing papers and the desire of the manufactured home resident to move quickly.”
Despite such unfortunate events, experience and testing by NFPA and others have proven that manufactured homes generally provide more protection against fire than conventional homes.
The NFPA report also shows that pre-HUD Code MH – which truly should be called ‘mobile homes’ – were also much more fire prone than today’s manufactured housing.
Manufactured home sellers can be proud of the industry’s homes, which are safer by design than the mobile homes of yesteryear, or the typical site-built homes of today.
When more MH business owners, managers, association leaders plus rank and file MH professionals learn and share the facts about our homes well, that we will be a big step towards getting the respect – and added business – that modern Manufactured Housing deserves.
America needs more affordable housing, and we have the solution millions and public officials want. ##
See related report, which includes the NFPA study on MH and fire as a free download with graphics:
ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com/mobile-and-manufactured-homes-nfpa-report-highlights-fire-facts-and-myths/
(Photo Credits: Christian Randolph, Kalamazoo Gazette)
Article submitted by Sandra Lane to – Daily Business News – MHProNews.
