Fire broke out inside a travel trailer on FM 2687 in the Hoop and Holler area of north Liberty County around 9 a.m. Thursday, destroying nearly all of the property owner’s belongings and killing his four dogs.
“When we got here, the trailer was fully engulfed and appeared to have been burning for about 30 minutes before it was reported,” said Chief William Boyd with Woodpecker Volunteer Fire Department.
Boyd, who lives nearby, said he heard an explosion related to the fire from his home. He says early indications suggest the explosion came from a small propane tank that may have been used for cooking.
When other firefighters from Woodpecker VFD and North Liberty County VFD arrived on the scene, they had to battle the blaze from the county road because of subsequent explosions.
The owner of the travel trailer, Jeff Malone, says he was at work when he got a call that his home was on fire. He came home to find that the trailer was burned down to the metal frame and all of its contents were destroyed, including his four dogs that he locked inside earlier in the day when he left for work. Malone said he had been concerned about the dogs being out in the cold, so he put them inside. He believes the dogs may have inadvertently started the fire by tipping over a heater.
The Liberty County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the blaze.
