PANAMA CITY — Two fires Friday left one person injured and another couple homeless.
A mobile home fire Friday night left a Panama City couple unharmed but wondering where they would spend the night.
The fire on the 2300 block of Drummond Avenue left Diane Hobbs and James Jerkins without clothes, medications, money or a place to stay.
“I don’t know where we’re going to go now,” Hobbs said as she watched firefighters from the Panama City Fire Department and Bay County Fire and Rescue rummage through the trailer that had been her home for nearly two years.
Jerkins, who served in the Army, believes he lost all of his military records and Veterans Affairs documentation. The 62-year-old said he’s been under a lot of stress.
Battalion Chief Darrel Wise said the cause of the fire is under investigation, which would include assistance from the Fire Marshal’s Office. He said he had contacted the American Red Cross to assist Hobbs and Jerkins.
Earlier Friday, one person was taken to a medical facility with what firefighters believe were minor injuries after an early morning fire.
At least six people were in the home when the fire started, but everyone escaped the house by the time fire crews with the Panama City Fire Department arrived at 719 Williams Ave., interim Assistant Chief Gary Swearingen said. Firefighters treated one person for smoke inhalation on the scene before emergency medical services took the person to a hospital for additional treatment and evaluation.
Swearingen said he didn’t know that person’s condition, but he believed their injuries were not life-threatening. The fire appears to have started when a pan of grease on a stove top ignited and spread to the cabinets.
Firefighters arrived about three minutes after the alarm and brought the fire under control within 20 minutes. Fire damage was contained primarily to the kitchen. The fire department estimated about $5,000 in damages to the building and $2,000 in damages to items inside.
The fire department did not identify the residents. The American Red Cross responded to the scene to assist the family.
A PCFD fire report indicates the home was not equipped with smoke detectors. Some of the people in the home were sleeping, but one of them discovered the fire and awakened everyone else.
Swearingen said they were fortunate.
“When you go to sleep without a smoke detector, you’re taking a gamble,” Swearingen said.
Swearingen said smoke detectors save lives, and he recommended people change the batteries in all smoke detectors twice a year. He suggested people change batteries when they change clocks for daylight savings.