COLUMBUS, Ind. — An unattended candle in a bedroom has been identified as the cause of a mobile home fire that forced the evacuation of one adult and seven children from a mobile home on Rosewood Lane Wednesday. A quick response by firefighters confined the fire to a single room but the fire caused smoke damage throughout the home, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman.
Columbus firefighters were sent to 2722 Rosewood Lane at 10:55 a.m., an address in Candlelight Village.
When they arrived, they contacted an adult female, Domanika Ramos, who said everyone was out of the home and she believed the fire was in a child’s bedroom.
Ramos then shared the location of the room with firefighter and identified the exterior window location for the bedroom where the fire was burning, Wilson said. As crews prepared for a fire attack, Ramos told firefighters that she believed that a candle was left burning on top of a dresser in her son’s bedroom.
As additional firefighting units continued to travel to the scene, on-scene firefighters began a fire attack. Firefighters used an exterior indirect water stream operation through the bedroom window to initiate cooling on the interior of the home. By this time, additional crews had arrived on the scene which allowed the fire attack team to move into the interior of the home where the fire was fully extinguished.
Ramos told fire investigators that herself and seven children were in the home at the time the fire was discovered. Ramos said that, in addition to her three children, four additional children were in her care. The children’s ages ranged from 9 to 2 years of age, according to Ramos.
Ramos told investigators that her oldest son had just received a new Christmas candle which was burning unattended in her son’s bedroom. She and all the children were in the kitchen area of the home as she prepared lunch for the children. While in the kitchen, Ramos said she began to smell smoke. Believing that the odor was possibly coming from the oven, Ramos said that she was checked on the food and found no problem. It was moments later that smoke was seen coming from the area of the children’s bedrooms.
Ramos said she ran to the bedroom where she saw flames inside the room. Ramos told investigators that she then closed the bedroom door, evacuated the children from the home and called 911. When firefighters arrived at the scene, the children were safely inside a neighboring home. The rapid response and tactical deployment of the initial arriving fire unit, Engine Co. 2, coupled with her action of closing the bedroom door, isolated the fire damage to the home’s bedroom, Wilson said.
An investigation by Columbus Fire Department Fire investigators found that the account of the incident aligned with the evidence located at the scene. Fire Investigators found that a plastic laundry tote was placed in close proximity to a burning candle located on top of a dresser. Investigators found evidence that the plastic tote became involved in fire and flames then spread to other combustible materials as the fire continued to grow.
During the interview, Ramos stated that the fire alarms in the bedroom hallway had been knocked down at one point and that a replacement alarm had not been installed. Other areas of the home did have smoke alarms but Ramos reported those alarms did not sound during the fire.
Investigators have ruled the cause of the fire as accidental as a result of an unattended candle placed near combustible materials. No injuries were reported at the scene. Damage estimate from fire is estimated at $25,000. Smoke damage was visible throughout the home.
Due to the damage, the family is temporarily displaced. The mobile home is owned by Candlelight Village Community. While no immediate emergency shelter has been requested, the Columbus Fire Department will continue to work with the family to aid with any needed services in the future.
Agencies that assisted at the scene include the Columbus Police Department, Columbus Township Fire and Rescue, Columbus Regional Health Emergency Medical Services, Columbus City Utilities, CenterPoint Energy, Duke Energy and the Bartholomew County emergency Operations Dispatch Center.
The Columbus Fire Department would like to again share the importance of working smoke alarms and fire prevention safe practices. Working smoke alarms save lives by providing early detection to the dangers of domestic fire. Every home should have as least one working smoke alarm. The Columbus Fire Department provides no-cost smoke alarm installations for Columbus residents in need of working smoke alarms. A working smoke alarm allows the precious time needed to escape the deadly smoke and heat conditions created in residential fires. Many fires can double in size in as little as 30 to 60 seconds, leaving little time to escape the toxic smoke and high heat created in residential living spaces. Open flames and supplemental heat sources should also be monitored at all times. Keep combustible materials away from any open flames or heating devises. Candles should have at least 12-18 inches of space that is free of anything that can burn. Supplemental space heaters need at least three feet of space that is free of combustibles. Creating a home fire escape plan is another important part of an overall fire safety plan. If you need assistance with working smoke alarms, fire escape planning or have general fire safety questions, please contact the Columbus Fire Department at (812) 376-2769 or visit the Columbus Fire Department website: www.columbus.in.gov/fire.
