A person was found dead inside a burned mobile home following a late-night fire on Coxville Lane in far southeast Dallas, with investigators still working to determine what sparked the deadly blaze.
Dallas Fire-Rescue crews arrived to find the structure fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters quickly determined conditions were too dangerous for an interior rescue and fought the fire from outside.
After extinguishing the fire, crews discovered a body inside the charred remains of the home. The remains were unrecognizable and the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office is working to establish the victim’s identity.
Nearby resident Mariana Mendoza said she spotted the flames just before midnight and rushed toward the burning home with her boyfriend. The couple called 911 and attempted to determine whether anyone was still trapped inside.
Mendoza described the scene as terrifying, saying the entire interior was already consumed by fire when they arrived. Her boyfriend knocked on doors and walls trying to get a response but heard nothing from inside.
She said her boyfriend desperately wanted to enter the home to help but the danger made it impossible. “We’re not firefighters. We can’t really do much” Mendoza said reflecting on the helpless feeling of watching the home burn.
Fire officials noted the mobile home had additional living spaces built onto the original structure. Clutter found throughout the property is believed to have contributed to how rapidly the fire spread.
A Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson also acknowledged that overnight winds may have played a role in accelerating the blaze though that has not been confirmed. The official cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The American Red Cross was called to the scene to assist three survivors including two men and a woman who had been living at the property.