Myrtle Creek man, 84, and cat die in fire
By KPIC.com staffMYRTLE CREEK, Ore. -- An 84-year-old man and his cat died after his travel trailer caught fire late Wednesday night. MultimediaHubert Weakley, 84, was found dead inside his travel trailer at the Rivers West trailer park in Myrtle Creek, Ore., after firefighters put out the blaze. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said an autopsy is planned but that there is no indication of foul play. Residents of the park could do nothing but watch as Weakley's trailer became fully engulfed in flames shortly before midnight Wednesday. "It was pretty awful because we knew Buck was still inside and that we could not get to him," said neighbor Chris Brignance. "So it was pretty awful to have to stand out here and know that he was still inside." Firefighters from Myrtle Creek and Winston/Dillard responded to the scene just off Interstate 5 Exit 112. Crews sifted through the charred remains until 5 a.m. Thursday morning trying to determine a cause. "We've been here for several hours trying to find out a point of origin and then probably or hopefully find out a cause and in a burnout like this that's really really hard to do," said Bill Duncan, Myrtle Creek Fire Department. "I would say that it's going to come down to some kind of heat related problem." Duncan said trailers are built with synthetic materials and glues that burn quickly once ignited. With the cold temperatures, the department sees a spike in residential fires due to improper heating techniques and circuit overloads. |
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February 9, 2012
- Roseburg, Oregon
