Mobile home fire kills 88-year-old woman

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Firefighters were called to a mobile home fire at 14815 Auburn Road around 9:35 a.m. Friday morning.

A Huntertown Fire Department spokesperson said one person died in the fire. The Allen County Coroner's Office identified the victim as 88-year-old Wanda June Ray. The cause of Ray's death was burns and smoke inhalation.

Firefighters said when they got to the scene, the mobile home was fully engulfed in flames. 

Our sister station WANE reports fire was coming out of every window and door of the home.  Firefighters were able to contain the fire in around 20 to 30 minutes.

Officials said it was too dangerous to go inside the mobile home to fight the fire so they fought it from the outside of the home.  Ray's family members were able to tell crews where they thought she might be inside the mobile home.

"Family members were out in front of the house saying that there was someone inside the house.  Flames were heavily exiting the house through all openings of the house," Huntertown Fire Department Operations Chief Robert Boren explained.

Firefighters said it was a difficult fire to fight because the roof and the attic of the mobile home were made of metal.  It encapsulated the fire.

"It was a very challenging fire and then afterwards you put the emotion of loss of life into that and that adds a different degree to the perspective of the incident."

The Indiana State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire. The Allen County Coroner and the Fort Wayne Arson & Investigation Division team were also there to assist.