Update: One person dies in a two-alarm fire that burned mobile homes in south Sacramento
One person died Friday after a two-alarm fire broke out and destroyed 23 homes, including 18 mobile homes and five houses along Den Avenue in south Sacramento, fire officials said.
The fire was initially reported about 2 p.m. Friday. Shortly before 3:30 p.m., the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District announced on Twitter that firefighters had contained the blaze and two people had been hospitalized. About 40 minutes later, Metro Fire announced one person had died.
Authorities found the person who died among the burned homes, Sac Metro Capt. Parker Wilbourn said Saturday. The two people hospitalized suffered burn injuries, he said, but the extent of their injuries was unknown.
The fire spread quickly with wind sending “embers flying,” from home to home, Wilbourn said. He called the fire’s aftermath “catastrophic,” but firefighters were able to save half of the homes in the mobile home park.
Metro Fire officials reported on Friday afternoon that there were “multiple missing persons” reported. About 3:50 p.m., firefighters were still extinguishing flames and trying to find possible victims of the blaze.
On Saturday, Wilbourn said cadaver dogs were used to search the area, but there was only one confirmed fatality. He said investigators had not determined the cause of the fire or where it might have started.
Crews from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District had gained control of downed power lines in the area.
The fire occurred near Den Avenue, just west of Stockton Boulevard and south of Orange Avenue.
Metro Fire initially reported shortly before 2:30 p.m. that firefighters were at the scene trying to contain control of the blaze, which involved several mobile homes on fire. A second alarm had been initiated to get more firefighting personnel and equipment to the scene.
About 15 minutes later, Metro Fire reported that the blaze included grass fires, and residents in the immediate area had been evacuated. About 45 minutes after the evacuations were reported, firefighters had gained control.
This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 4:25 PM.
