Person burned in Merced mobile home blaze. What hampered firefighting efforts

One person suffered burn injuries in a fire at a mobile home in Merced early Monday, authorities said.

The call came in just before 6 a.m. from the mobile home community in the 2500 block of North Highway 59. Firefighters arrived to find a single-wide mobile home fully involved, according to Merced City Fire Chief Derek Parker.

Parker said four fire engines and one fire truck responded to the scene, resulting in a total of about 16 fire personnel assigned to the incident. According to Parker, firefighters encountered what he referred to as hoarding conditions inside the home.

Parker said the contents of the home created fuel loading conditions and reduced pathways throughout the home which posed a risk to firefighter safety. Crews remained on scene until about 10 a.m.

Fire officials said one person suffered burns in the fire and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. There were no reported injuries to fire personnel.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This story was originally published December 19, 2022 at 1:57 PM.