Southland fires: Sylmar mobile homes lost

At Sylmar's Oakridge Mobile Home Park, designated a crime scene, the L.A. County coroner's office and its dogs were back Sunday looking for victims of the huge Sayre fire.

This headline at latimes.com summed up the loss of scores of affordable homes in a community with listings as high as $28 million: "In Sylmar, an Entire Community Goes Up in Flames: Of Oakridge's 600 mobile homes, 501 were destroyed and at least 40 were badly damaged. Even firefighters were forced to leave as the flames grew so intense, they burned fire hoses into the cement."

Among those who watched their homes burn was Ruth Kamke, 84, who had packed her belongings into her 1973 yellow-and-black Camaro, but, when her electricity failed, couldn't open her garage door.

Outside, a rain of glowing embers ignited the bushes around her mobile home. She grabbed a hose and was spraying down her yard when three firefighters appeared and took her by both arms, leading her across the street to a lawn in front of the community clubhouse.

"As I sat there, I watched each house on my block catch fire in turn," Kamke said.

Desperate to save her car and belongings, she pleaded with firefighters, who eventually broke down the garage door and pulled the vehicle out. One police officer drove the Camaro out of the neighborhood to safety; another put Kamke in his patrol car and took her to the evacuation center. She peered out the rear window and watched the flames consume her home.

The gated community included many double-wide homes with garages. Recent sales included the Sept. 11 closing of a two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,120-square-foot home for $69,000, reported at Zillow.com.

Current listings at Realtor.com included a two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,296-square-foot residence listed at $79,900 and a three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,646-square-foot home at $109,000.

--Lauren Beale

Thoughts? Comments?

Comments

[D]

Why would you mix a story about people's homes burning down with their current listings.

"This mobile home would have sold for $109,000 but it burned to the ground".

What is wrong with you people.

[Steve]

I really feel for these people, especially the seniors. There are choices on where to live and being a CA native who spent his first 50 years in LA there is better places to live at a fraction of the cost. At what point between safety, earthquakes, fire, crime, education, cost does it make sense to move. The natives can see the decline in qualitu of life and life is now better and half the cost out of state. Why stay, it might be time to move.

[KateNonymous]

D, I think the point is that these were, in fact, homes. You don't have to live in a Malibu estate to lose property that is of value. This kind of tragedy affects entire communities in myriad ways.

[eternal summer]

how "mobile" are these homes if you can't drive them away in an emergency? they need a new name.

hat tip to my husband.

[cheapcarsauctions]

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