VICTIM IDENTIFIED IN EL CAJON MOBILE HOME FIRE
September 28, 2009 (El Cajon) – Karen Hunter was found dead following a fire in her mobile home that began shortly before 7 p.m. last night, the County Coroner’s office has confirmed. Heartland Dispatch received numerous calls about the fire at El Capitan Mobile Home Park, 1425 E. Madison Avenue.
El Cajon firefighters were cooking their dinner on the patio of Fire Station 8 when they also spotted smoke.
“They immediately responded, arriving on the scene within three minutes, where they found a trailer home at the park fully involved,” a press release from the City of El Cajon stated. “With about twenty firefighters on scene the fire was knocked down in less than 15 minutes, saving nearby trailer homes.” San Miguel Fire Protection District also assisted in battling the fire.
After the blaze was extinguished, firefighters searched the trailer and found Hunter’s body. Cause of the fire was unsafe use of smoking materials, according to El Cajon Fire officials. The victim’s age and marital status are unknown, according to the Coroner, though a City press release listed her age as 64. Estimated loss of the trailer and its contents is $75,000.