A passerby's 911 call sent Central Pierce Fire & Rescue crews racing to the 6400 block of 224th Street E in Spanaway early Friday morning, where they found a motor home fully engulfed in flames and, inside it, a dead man. The fire had already jumped to a nearby garage and a second motor home by the time firefighters arrived.
Crews were dispatched at approximately 7:53 a.m. after the passerby reported the motor home on fire, according to Central Pierce Fire & Rescue
. Firefighters arrived to find the vehicle fully involved in flames, with the fire already spreading beyond the original motor home.
Fire Extended to Garage and Second Motor Home
The blaze did not stay contained to the single vehicle that prompted the 911 call. Fire officials said flames extended to a nearby garage as well as a second motor home parked at the property, though the department's statement did not detail the extent of damage to either structure.
Crews managed to bring the fire under control by 8:16 a.m., roughly 23 minutes after the initial dispatch, and had it fully extinguished by 8:37 a.m., per the same account from fire officials.
Deceased Man Found Inside the Motor Home
While searching the scene, firefighters located a deceased adult male inside the motor home that had initially been reported burning. Officials have not determined a cause of death, and the department's statement did not identify the man.
The Pierce County Fire Marshal's Office is now investigating what sparked the fire. Under county policy, deputy fire marshals with the Pierce County Fire Prevention Bureau are responsible for investigating fires in unincorporated areas like Spanaway, as well as in contract cities across the county.
Latest in a String of Fatal Fires in the Area
Friday's fire adds to a run of deadly fires that have struck the Spanaway area in recent months. In August, a 68-year-old woman died after a house fire destroyed a Spanaway home, a blaze that fire officials told KIRO 7 News Seattle proved challenging to fight for several reasons. In December, a woman died after fire broke out in a manufactured home in Spanaway, according to a separate report from the Tacoma News Tribune.
No further details on the man's identity, the fire's origin, or the condition of the garage and second motor home have been released as the investigation continues.
