ANOTHER FIRE STRIKES A RECENTLY ANNEXED WEST SIDE MOBILE HOME PARK-NO FIRE HYDRANT NEARBY-ANOTHER TOTAL LOSS!

WINTER TEXANS' HOME UP IN FLAMES NO NEARBY WORKING FIRE HYDRANT AVAILABLE!
WHAT REMAINS OF LOT NUMBER 20 IN THE PINES, MOBILE HOME PARK ON BUSINESS HIGHWAY 83, LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HOME

NOTHING MUCH LEFT OF THE STRUCTURE BUT AN EMPTY BURNED OUT SHELL

AERIAL MAP OF THE PINES MOBILE HOME PARK

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER FIRE!

THE MOBILE HOME AT LOT NUMBER 20, WEST STREET, IN THE PINES MOBILE HOME PARK IS A TOTAL LOSS.  EARLIER THAT SATURDAY, THE WINTER TEXAN OWNERS HAD PACKED UP THEIR BELONGINGS AND WERE HEADED BACK NORTH TO IOWA FOR THE SUMMER!  "I WOKE UP AROUND 11:00 PM SATURDAY NIGHT, MARCH 12TH, AND SMELLED THE SMOKE AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT," SAID A NEARBY NEIGHBOR.  SEVERAL FIRE TRUCKS AND POLICE RESPONDED TO THE SCENE TO FIGHT THE FIRE.   BUT, ONCE AGAIN, AS IN THE RETTENHABER HOMESTEAD A FEW MILES NORTH OF HERE WHICH BURNED TO THE GROUND A FEW WEEKS AGO, FIRE HYDRANTS CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE BUILDING WERE NOT AVAILABLE.  ONE RESIDENT I SPOKE WITH TOLD ME THE ONLY FIRE HYDRANT SERVING THIS AREA IS AT THE NORTH ENTRANCE TO THE MOBILE HOME PARK AS SEEN IN THE MAP ABOVE.  THE TRAILER WAS AT THE SOUTH WEST END OF THE PARK.  "I WAS TOLD THAT THAT FIRE HYDRANT WAS NOT IN WORKING ORDER WHEN THE FIREMEN ARRIVED,"  SAID FRANK, A LOCAL RESIDENT.  "THE FIRE TRUCKS EMPTIED THEIR LOADS OF WATER ONTO THE BURNING BUILDING AND THEN HAD TO LEAVE AND REFILL THEIR TANKS AND COME BACK TO REPEAT THE PROCESS. IN THE MEANTIME, THE BUILDING QUICKLY BURNED TO THE GROUND," SAID FRANK.  "IT WAS A GOOD THING NOBODY WAS ASLEEP INSIDE THAT BUILDING BECAUSE THEY WOULD OF NEVER MADE IT OUT ALIVE," REMARKED SHIRLEY, WHO LIVES DOWN THE STREET. THE OWNERS COULD NOT BE REACHED FOR COMMENT AT THIS TIME.  
****CHICKEN BUCKET EDITORIAL STAFF