Fast-moving fire destroys new travel trailer before maiden voyage – St George News

ST. george – Firefighters battled both triple-digit temperatures and a fire that quickly spread through a travel trailer in St. George, where a specially ordered and recently purchased recreational trailer was destroyed before its first trip.

Shortly after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, firefighters and emergency crews were dispatched to a recreational vehicle at 2740 South St. George, where they found a large fifth-wheel travel trailer parked in the driveway engulfed in flames. .

St. George Fire Chief Robert Stocker said crews arrived and began extinguishing the fire from the front of the trailer, which spread under the trailer and into the front interior of the trailer.

In the interim, before the flames had a chance to spread, two propane tanks in the driver’s side storage compartment of the trailer were removed and the tanks were prevented from exploding from the intense heat of the fire.

Crews continued to use the trailer to make sure the remaining fires were completely extinguished and to check for possible fires later.

Additionally, the trailer was exposed to extreme heat as the fire burned, so crews continued to water the exterior to cool the blaze.

Stoker said when crews arrived, they found several neighbors dousing the fire with garden hoses, which prevented the fire from spreading.

“As soon as the owner called 911, several neighbors jumped in with garden hoses,” Stocker said.

The fire started in the front of the trailer, where a large generator and other electrical equipment is located, Stoker said. He said the fire apparently started in the front of the RV due to an electrical or battery problem, but the exact cause is still unknown.

The owner, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The St. George News that he recently purchased the trailer in Florida, adding that it was the model he had been looking for for months because it was no longer in production.

He also said the trailer caught fire before the family had a chance to use it and even the children’s trampoline was burnt in the blaze.

“This is my kids’ trampoline they were playing on – it’s been destroyed,” he said.

Most important, he said, is that no one was injured and that he and his family were not on a camping trip when the trailer caught fire, nor did it come into contact with the pickup truck, which was still parked feet away.

The front of the trailer was destroyed in the fire, and the interior was heavily damaged by fire and smoke, Stoker said, adding that what makes these fires so destructive is the rapid spread, primarily due to the combustible materials used in the manufacturing process. Including composite materials made of fiberglass and polymers or plastics that are highly flammable and combustible.

Moreover, trailers are usually equipped with propane tanks as well as fuel tanks – even on the fifth wheel, there is a fuel tank that feeds the generator located in front of the vehicle, in addition to other tools and equipment. It can increase the spread of fire.

Stocker said the most important step a driver can take anytime a fifth wheel or trailer catches fire is to disconnect the trailer from the truck as quickly as possible and drive forward to create distance, which can reduce the risk of the truck catching fire. , for example, as seen during Wednesday’s fire.

There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters, and other vehicles and structures were not damaged.

This report is based on statements from police, emergency personnel or other responders and may not include the full scope of findings.

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