House Fire Displaces Two Residents; No One Injured

A firefighter walks from the back of the property on Dawson Road where fire engulfed a home Monday afternoon. Menifee 24/7 photos: Kristen Spoon

Two residents were displaced Monday afternoon by a fire that engulfed their double wide mobile home in northeast Menifee.

Firefighters responded at 12:07 p.m. to the blaze in the 26600 block of Dawson Road, just south of McLaughlin Road. By the time the first of nine engine companies with 36 firefighters responded to the site, the fire was spreading quickly to all parts of the residence. A small crowd of neighbors watched the firefighting efforts along with the two occupants, who escaped unhurt.

Lisa Gomez said she and Terry Allen have lived as a couple for 20 years in the home, which is located in a rural area of homes and ranches about a mile east of Interstate 215. Gomez said the fire started in a shed and spread quickly to the mobile home. She and Allen escaped along with their dogs. She said their efforts to battle the flames in the few minutes it took firefighters to arrive were futile.

Gomez told Menifee 24/7 that their residence uses well water, which was low because of the water shortage and not enough to do much good. Their above-ground swimming pool was empty, also because they were asked to conserve water, she said.

Three small explosions could be heard in the back of the property, where Allen said the couple's recreational vehicle and an extra tank of gas was located. Allen was able to retrieve three Harley-Davidson motorcycles that were not damaged.

Fire officials had put no dollar amount on the damage as of Monday afternoon and the cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Red Cross was called in to assist the residents.

A view of the black smoke from Encanto Road near McCall Boulevard. The smoke could be seen for miles.

Below are two pieces of Menifee 24/7 raw video from the site: