Frozen pipes leads to fire of family's home in Cape County

A man trying to thaw his frozen water pipes accidentally started a fire that destroyed his family's mobile home early Wednesday, a fire official said.

Firefighters from the Gordonville Fire Protection District, along with Jackson, Delta and Millersville departments, responded to the blaze, which was reported at 1:25 a.m.

The fire occurred at 322 Estate Dr. in the Parkwood Lake Estates mobile home park, across from Notre Dame Regional High School on Route K, said Gordonville assistant fire chief Steve Corzine.

About 25 firefighters from the various departments battled the blaze, Corzine said.

The mobile home park has no fire hydrants, so water to fight the fire so had to be brought in on fire department tanker trucks, he said, explaining the need for so many departments to respond to the fire.

No one was injured in the fire, but the mobile home was destroyed, Corzine said.

The man and woman living in the mobile home and their three children were able to escape the fire. Corzine said the family at least temporarily has moved in with relatives.

The assistant chief said the blaze broke out when the underskirt of the mobile home ignited as the man was working underneath the structure to unfreeze water pipes.

Corzine said the fire quickly spread throughout the mobile home. By the time firefighters arrived, the blaze had spread through most of the structure, he said.

The fire was one of a number of recent house fires in the area during this round of frigid temperatures.

Corzine said typically there are number of house fires during such cold spells with the majority involving the heating systems.

"It is mainly due to extreme, cold temperatures," he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641