FIREFIGHTERS EXTINGUISH A BLAZE IN A STORAGE SHED AND MOBILE HOME LAST WEDNESDAY AT THE MIDPINES MOBILE HOME PARK. THE MOBILE SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AND THE STORAGE SHED WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. GAZETTE PHOTO BY DAN TUCKER A structure fire was reported at 11:32 a.m. in the Midpines Mobile Home Park on Dec. 30 by Jack Webb, the owner of the 66-foot mobile home.

The arriving fire fighting resources reported the back half of the home and an exterior storage building involved in fire. Members of the Midpines volunteer company knocked the fire down and held it in check until additional personnel could respond.

The Midpines engine was out the door in record time because two members happened to be at the station when the call was dispatched. The weather was clear, temperature moderate and the wind calm throughout the incident.

There was an evaporative cooler on the roof just outside the affected bedroom that acted as a natural vent to draw smoke and heat out of the structure rather than letting it spread throughout the home.

Webb, a retired firefighter, closed the bedroom door as he exited the structure. By doing so, he bought time for firefighters to arrive. Fire officials recommend always keeping interior doors inside homes closed to help retard fire spread.

A total of 23 members of Mariposa County Fire, MPUD Fire and CAL FIRE worked for about 90 minutes to completely control the blaze and extinguish all residual hot spots.

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries. Damage to the primary structure was estimated to be $38,000 and damage to contents at $20,000. Radiant heat caused approximately $2,000 damage to the exterior of a neighboring trailer.

The home was insured and the Red Cross was called to assist the owners with their short term recovery needs. Mariposa County Fire officials believe the preliminary cause of the fire was combustible material too close to a portable space heater in the adjacent storage structure.