Fire burns Covelo home

Fire destroyed a Covelo woman’s mobile home late Monday night, according to a Covelo fire official.

The fire started in a back room and may have been sparked by an electrical problem. Assistant Chief Bill Baker said the mobile home, which was 50 or so years old, had a history of electrical issues.

The resident had been home with her dog when the smoke alarm blared. The Covelo volunteer fire company was called at about 10:10 p.m. to the Ledger Road blaze, just north of town.

One firefighter who lives in the same neighborhood ran to the house and made sure the resident had gotten out safely, then rushed to the station to get the department’s water truck, Baker said.

Eight Covelo volunteer firefighters responded and Covelo Fire Chief Doreen Freeman ran the fire fight. The fire was about three miles from the fire house, helping with a quick response, Baker said.

They knocked down the flames in 30 minutes but were at the scene until about 3 a.m., pulling apart the wreckage and making sure no flare ups would occur, he said.

As well as the home, the fire burned an attached store room and a car. The Red Cross was helping provide the woman with temporary shelter.

Covelo is a remote community off of Highway 162, east of Laytonville. Mutual aid included Cal Fire, which sent an engine from its nearest open station, Howard Forest in Willits.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport.