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CLOUDY Temp: 45 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Wednesday, February 19, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 22, 2003 Fire District 5 firefighter Nick Baalman inspects a smoke alarm in a Phoenix mobile home, something most fire departments will do at residents� request. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Neighbor, firefighters check smoke alarms By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune For Phoenix-area resident Rosemary Botts, the speed at which a fire can destroy a manufactured home hit a little too close to her own home last week. Botts was one of several neighbors who tried in vain to alert an elderly couple, Norman and Mary Salsbery, during a fire in which they were trapped inside their burning mobile home Saturday in the Royal Oaks Mobile Manor outside Phoenix. "I was banging on the walls of that place from one end to another, but it was already too late," Botts said. "I’d have been burned up if I tried to get in because that fire sure was hot, and it went fast. I did all I could, but still you get the feeling like, ‘Gee, what else could I have done?’ " Days later, Botts decided to knock on the doors of about a dozen neighbors to ensure their smoke detectors were in working order. "When you experience something like that, it’s very traumatic," she said. "It’s made me very paranoid. I walked around and checked on everyone I could. So many people that live in these places are older, and it’s scary to think they might not take necessary steps to stay safe." Local officials say the fatal fire served as a grim reminder of special concerns over mobile and manufactured homes when it comes to fire. Especially older homes made with materials that are lightweight compared to what is used today, said Deputy Fire Marshal Mark Moran of Fire District 3. "Just the mere design of manufactured homes, especially older ones, cause them to burn much quicker and hotter than a stick-built home," Moran said. "Part of that’s due to the lightweight paneling which carries the flame quicker. Newer manufactured homes have got typical stick-built frames with sheet rock so they burn slower and more typical of a stick-frame house. "But, regardless, good smoke detector coverage is our best bet in the single-family dwelling type arena because we need to be able to get that early warning." Larry Anderson, administrative chief of the Medford Fire Department, said the most common misconception people have about fire is that if it’s in their home, they’ll wake up. "Without the detector, you have a very slim chance of surviving a fire," Anderson said. "... When things get smoky, it puts you to sleep and it takes only a couple of breaths of the well-developed smoke." In the case of the Salsbery couple, a smoke detector was found in the home but the batteries had been removed. According to the state Fire Marshal’s Office, 8,837 fires occurred in one- and two-family dwellings in Oregon from 1999 to 2002; of those, 465 were in mobile or manufactured homes, 81.3 percent of which were 10 years or older. The mobile home fires resulted in 41 injuries and 15 deaths. "Mobile and manufactured homes are a growing choice for people because they are affordable," said Sally Ridenour, fire marshal public information officer. "While the newer ones behave similarly to a site-built home in a fire situation, the homes built prior to 1989 are the ones that fire service is concerned about because of the level of danger for those residents in the event of a fire." A survey of half a dozen mobile home parks on Tuesday showed that most parks offer reminders to their residents through newsletters to check smoke detectors. Younger residents often take care of the elderly by helping inspect smoke detectors or by changing batteries when needed. But, for the most part, compliance is voluntary. At the Medford Estates, an all-ages manufactured home community, park management provides 24-hour security for its 244 units. "And we do make periodic announcements to check or change smoke alarm batteries," said General Manager John Sevano. "But when you have a larger park, it’s up to each resident to do a lot of the checking themselves." Security patrol Jessica Sperbeck, who also lives in the park, said fire danger was constantly on her mind. "As a resident, I certainly make sure the smoke detectors in my home are working. As security patrol, I am always on the watch for fire or smoke. "There seems to be a greater hazard because (the homes) tend to be closer together," she added. "It’s something that’s at the forefront of my mind constantly; if one place goes up, we’re all at risk." Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Safety tips Some safety tips offered by local fire officials include: Consider staging a practice fire drill during the night hours without warning family members in order to see how an actual fire would be dealt with. Ensure that children have been taught more than one escape route during a fire. Change smoke detector batteries twice a year at daylight savings time whether they need it or not. For current safety standards and information on newly passed smoke detector requirements, log onto www.sfm.state.or.us . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S