A woman and a dog died after a fire tore through a trailer at a mobile home park in Santee overnight, officials said.
Crews said 25-foot flames were shooting from the window of the trailer when they arrived at the Mission Del Magnolia mobile home park on Woodside Avenue just west of State Route 67 late Sunday.
Santee Fire Department chief Justin Matsushita said flames overtook the home within minutes of their arrival on scene.
"It flashed over right in front of our eyes," he said. "Heavy fire towards the rear of the building and by the time we actually had our hoses out and ready to put some water of this thing it became somewhat of a chore to get a hold of."
Once flames were tempered, firefighters were able to make their way inside the trailer home. That's when the body of a woman and a dog were found in a bedroom, Matsushita said.
The woman was later identified as Ann Savoy.
A bomb/arson strike team was working to determine the cause of the fire, though the home presents challenges for crews.
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Matsushita said the fire created weak floors that were unable to be walked upon.
"The majority of the floor inside the building we couldn't walk on and we had a couple of firefighters that fell through the floor," he said. "Fortunately, it wasn't a very long drop but their feet went through the floor."
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Matsushita said the investigation would stretch into the morning.
