Updated: 2 killed, 9 homes destroyed as brush fire burns through Lakewood mobile home park
Two people were killed and nine homes were destroyed after a brush fire tore through a Lakewood mobile home park Friday afternoon, according to West Pierce Fire & Rescue. Five other homes were heavily damaged
Fire crews battled the flames in the area of 146th Street SW and Murray Road SW, close to Interstate 5.
The fire spread into resident-owned Jamestown Estates mobile home park in the Woodbrook neighborhood, West Pierce said. Aerial photos show the park, located at 7110 146th Street SW, has about 40 homes.
The two male victims were found in a single home, said West Pierce spokesperson Jenny Weekes. It’s unknown how many residents have been displaced.
The alarm came in at 2:23 p.m., Weekes said. The cause of the 5-acre brush fire located adjacent to the park has not been determined.
The residents are largely Latino and recently purchased the park, according to an Associated Press story from April.
When residents learned last year the park was to be sold, they formed Bob’s and Jamestown Homeowners Cooperative and bought it for $5.25 million in September. Since then, residents have been making improvements.
“Everybody thought, ‘You know what? ... I’m going to make this place the best that I can,’” Gadiel Galvez, who is a co-op board member, told the AP. “Some people painted their homes, some people remodeled their interiors and exteriors, and some are working on their roofs.”
The entire park was evacuated and crews were accounting for occupants late Friday afternoon, Weekes said.
“Firefighters are now working to continually protect the homes that are near those affected and cool down hot spots,” she said.
The American Red Cross is assisting residents and Pierce Transit has provided an air-conditioned bus for residents to take refuge in, Weekes said.
Six vehicles and two ATVs were also destroyed Friday.
This story was originally published August 4, 2023 at 3:28 PM.
