INVERNESS, Fla. — A space heater was believed to be the cause of a blaze that destroyed an Inverness mobile home on Friday, fire officials said.
Citrus County Fire Rescue (CCFR) responded to a structure fire at the single-wide mobile home on North East Avenue at about 1:36 p.m.
The fire was brought under control by 1:43 p.m. However, despite the firefighter’s efforts, the home and its contents were lost.
Neither the firefighters nor any residents were injured.
The occupant of the home reported that she had left a space heater running in the living room while visiting her mother nearby. When she returned, she found smoke billowing from the home and flames spreading rapidly.
A preliminary investigation identified the space heater as the likely cause of the fire, with the most significant damage originating in the area where it was placed, CCFR officials said.
The Red Cross and 1-800 Board Up were contacted to assist the displaced resident with recovery and temporary shelter.
As temperatures drop, CCFR urges residents to exercise caution when using space heaters and other heating devices. Always keep heaters at least three feet away from combustible materials, never leave them unattended, and ensure smoke detectors are installed and functioning properly in your home.
For more information about Citrus County Fire Rescue, www.citruscountyfire.com [citruscountyfire.com] or follow us on Facebook @CitrusCountyFireRescue and X (Twitter) @citruscofire.
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