UPDATE, 5:05 p.m.: Glendora Police have just announced that a search of the burned trailer by investigators from the Office of Medical Examiner-Coroner yielded only one victim.
Police initially stated that two victims died in the fire.
The investigation is continuing and eastbound lanes of Route 66 are still closed at Glendora Avenue and Pasadena Avenue, police said.
PREVIOUS: Glendora Police are continuing to investigate a mobile home fire that claimed two residents Thursday.
The fire, which began around 11:34 a.m., engulfed one mobile home unit at the Tropics Trailer Park, 428 E. Route 66. Los Angeles County Firefighters arrived on scene shortly after and declared the occupants deceased.
At least one other mobile home unit was damaged by fire, said Inspector Randal Wright of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
“At this time, we are not releasing any information on the deceased. We want to avoid any improper identification,” said Lt. Matt Williams of Glendora Police.
Credit courtesy.
Detectives will likely be investigating the scene for hours. Eastbound lanes of Route 66 east of Glendora Avenue are still closed to traffic and will remain so until the investigation is complete, Williams said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. At this time, the fire does not appear to be criminal in nature, Williams said.
One adjacent mobile home was damaged by the fire.
Residents of the mobile home park stood by, anxious to get back in. One concerned resident arrived after the fire was extinguished. He was eventually allowed access to his home to pick up his pet.
Employees of neighboring Kicks on 66 saw the smoke billowing from their building and rushed to help residents who were attempting to rescue the occupants.
“We immediately ran out to do what we could to help,” said Kyle Prough of Kicks on 66. “People were yelling ‘there’s somebody in there! Get them out! get them out!'”
Good Samaritans were attempting to break through the door and windows, some residents were protecting their own mobile homes by hosing them down. Prough gave a hammer to the Good Samaritans to gain entry, but the mobile home had already become engulfed in flames.
“We busted out the back window and as soon as it popped, smoke just billowed out of that as well. By the time we heard the yelling and by the time we got over there, there was nothing stopping [the fire],” Prough said.
Prough noted that yelling was frequently heard from the mobile home where the occupants died.
“We hear people yelling all the time at that particular trailer, people having lots of arguments,” Prough said.
About 12 to 15 employees of Kicks on 66 won’t be able to go back in until the investigation at the scene is over, Prough said.
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