Single Dad and Two Sons Escape Mobile Home Fire in West Mobile Days Before Christmas

Three people, including a family dog, escaped without injuries when a mobile home caught fire early Thursday morning at the Royal Acres Mobile Home Park on Schillinger Road near Hitt Road in west Mobile.

The blaze was reported shortly before 4:30 a.m. Firefighters arrived to find flames shooting from the home and brought the fire under control in roughly 25 minutes.

Richard Lance, who lived in the home with his two sons, ages 14 and 11, said he spotted flames outside, tried to fight them with water, then woke his boys as the fire spread rapidly through the wall. The family of seven-year residents lost the home and everything inside it less than three weeks before Christmas.

Neighbors described waking to see the home fully engulfed. Lance said the mobile home was not insured and that he was working with the American Red Cross to find housing and resources for his family.

Investigators are working to determine what caused the fire.

Help after a fire

The American Red Cross responds to home fires across the country. Its disaster volunteers typically help displaced families with immediate needs such as emergency lodging, food and clothing, and refer them to other agencies for longer-term recovery.