Fire destroys RV

No one was injured in a fire that destroyed an RV in Central Whidbey Sunday afternoon.

No one was injured in a fire that destroyed an RV in Central Whidbey Sunday afternoon, though a family lost all of its belongings.

According to Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue Chief Jerry Helm, crews were dispatched at 12:46 p.m. to a property on Olympic View Drive on Central Whidbey. South Whidbey Fire/EMS and North Whidbey Fire and Rescue, which had also been dispatched, drove back as the request for help was cancelled before they arrived on the scene.

Dulie Bowers, the mother of the RV’s owner, said the vehicle was parked on her property, next to her home. Her son, Ben, had moved to live close to her to support her after she suffered a stroke, despite being physically disabled himself and only being able to work part-time.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Bowers said she invited her son and grandsons to eat breakfast at her home. When her grandson looked outside the window, he noticed there was smoke coming out of the motor home, prompting his father to run immediately to the RV while Bowers and the children grabbed the pets and ran outside, not knowing if the house was going to catch fire too.

After she called 911, she watched in horror from her handicap ramp, waiting for her son to show up again, which he did.

The fire was extinguished within an hour or an hour and a half, Helm said. The RV, as well as the family’s personal belongings and documents, were destroyed in the fire, Bowers said.

Luckily, the family’s dogs, cats and pet chicken were all found safe, though the chicken had been hiding under the deck and was found at 3 a.m. Monday, she said.

Bowers said many community members have shown their support for the family by bringing clothes, blankets and pillows and by reaching out to her on Facebook, asking how they could help, which she is grateful for.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, though it does not appear to be suspicious, Helm said.

Helm cautions residents not to park their RVs close to buildings as these vehicles can burn quickly, putting other nearby structures at risk.