MAN LOSES BELONGINGS WHEN HOME BURNS

Henry A. Graham can be thankful that Rick Marshall knows the smell of a burning trailer.

Marshall and his wife, Dawn, discovered a fire burning inside Graham's trailer home at the Route W Trailer Court while visiting a relative on Saturday afternoon.

"We had a trailer burn down in 1992, so we know that distinct smell," said Marshall, who was taking groceries to his father-in-law at the trailer court.

No one was injured in the fire, which was reported at 12:53 p.m.

First smelling, then noticing smoke coming from under the door, Marshall went to see if anyone was inside while his wife called 911.

After knocking on the door and pounding on a window, Marshall asked a neighbor if any people or animals might be inside. The neighbor told him no one was at home, he said.

Firefighters from the East County Fire District responded to the call within minutes, said Jim Hanks, fire chief. One firefighter was at the scene in two minutes, since he lives in the trailer court. A tanker truck arrived within five minutes, Hanks said.

"In bad weather, it takes us eight minutes," he said.

When the truck arrived, the living room was consumed by flames. With 26 firefighters responding, it only took several minutes to put out the fire, Hanks said.

Firefighters utilized a fire hydrant that was on the same corner as the burning trailer.

Although they had anticipated using the hydrant as soon as the call was received, Hanks' department seldom uses hydrants. In cold weather, they can be frozen, and the department's 9,000 gallon drop tank, which stores a reservoir of water from an external source, does a better job.

"Hydrants hinder us to a certain degree," Hanks said. "We can flow more water with our drop tanks than a fire hydrant could ever put out."

Low water pressure and long distances to cover with hoses make hydrants less effective in rural areas, firefighters said.

Graham, who had been visiting his girlfriend a few minutes distance from his trailer, found out about the fire from the sirens.

"He heard sirens come by and he decided to come and see what all the commotion was about," Hanks said.

Graham lost some momentoes inside the trailer, and he was still searching for a dog that might have gotten out, the fire chief said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, he said.