Published: April 11, 2009 01:20 am      

No one trapped, injured in mobile home fire Friday

PALESTINE — All Mike Coleman had in mind was heating up the grease in a pot to make it easier to pour as he was cleaning his kitchen Friday around lunchtime.

When the grease overheated and caught fire, Coleman called the fire department, then grabbed a water hose and turned it on his blazing stove.

By the time that firefighters from Westside Volunteer Fire Department and Palestine Fire Department arrived to his mobile home in the 600 block of ACR 4253, Coleman had the fire basically out.

Firefighters were relieved to find the scene much different than what they’d originally feared.

“These kind of homes go up so quickly that we usually don’t get here in time,” said Lt. Billy Snider with Westside VFD. “We were told there was a man inside that they couldn’t find. It turns out he was outside already. That’s also good.”

The fear that someone might have been trapped inside led to Tennessee Colony, Tucker, Montalba and Palestine being toned out to respond. When the first firefighters arrived to find not only no one hurt but also no fire, all but Westside and Palestine’s Engine 2 were sent back.

Coleman said he decided to turn his hose on the fire in an effort to keep the flames from spreading.

“I went off in there with the water hose to save what I could until the cavalry arrived,” Coleman said.

His home, a 1980s model single-wide mobile home, suffered little damage other than some burned kitchen cabinets and the stove. No one was injured.

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Beth Foley may be contacted via e-mail at bfoley@palestineherald.com