Woman injured in rural Merced County fire

A woman was flown to an area hospital Monday afternoon with smoke-inhalation burns after fire gutted a mobile home.

Five people escaped the flames, which broke out just after noon inside a mobile home near the area of Vasche and Kahlon roads in rural Merced County.

The 50-year-old woman, whose identity was not immediately available, was the only person who reported suffering injuries. Four others declined treatment at the scene, according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Merced County.

John Meyer, 53, the brother of the injured woman, said he and four family members were inside the home when they heard a smoke alarm go off. “We smelt, like, a burning plastic,” he said.

He said the fire was burning inside a wall in the bathroom. Meyer said he and the others attempted to round up all the pets. A dog escaped on its own, but the fate of five cats was unclear, he said.

The injured woman was taken by a Riggs Ambulance helicopter.

Authorities received multiple calls on the fire that sent smoke billowing over Highway 99. The mobile home was located between the highway and its old route, which is now called Kahlon Road. Vasche Road used to be Plainsburg Road before it was rerouted to the overpass across Highway 99.

A damage estimate was not available, and the cause of the fire remained under investigation, Battalion Chief Jeremy Rahn said.

Flames damaged the mobile home and a nearby car, but firefighters managed to prevent further damage.

Rahn said the smoke detector likely prevented further injuries. “That’s the nice thing about having a working smoke detector,” Rahn said.

The American Red Cross of Merced County was called in by firefighters to aid the family with temporary housing.

A total of 15 county firefighters responded to the blaze.

This story was originally published February 8, 2016 at 1:44 PM with the headline "Woman injured in rural Merced County fire."