Police, fire crews search for child as they fight South Dixie blaze

Police and fire crews are searching for a young girl after a trailer belonging to her mother was destroyed by fire late Friday evening.

Jill Pickett

Firefighters work at a trailer fire Friday evening at the Royal Oak Mobile Home Park in the Glendale area.

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Sonora Fire Department responded to the structure fire at Royal Oak Mobile Home Park at 6353 S. Dixie Highway near the Hardin County Fairgrounds around 5 p.m. Friday and was working in conjunction with the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office to find the girl. Central Hardin, Glendale and Upton Fire Departments also were on scene around 5:30 p.m. Friday.

The fire was called in by the tenant’s ex-husband, who was scheduled to keep their children after school, Sonora Fire Chief Frank Donehoo said.

The 9-year-old was unaccounted for as of Friday evening and Donehoo said they were in the process of contacting the mother about her daughter’s whereabouts.

Authorities have not released the names of the mother or the ex-husband, nor did they identify a possible cause for the fire as of Friday evening.

The interior of the trailer was thoroughly charred and a portion of the flooring had caved in as firefighters sweeped the inside in search of the girl. Donehoo said they were placing doors and other stable structures down to rebuild the floor as they finished the search of the trailer.

About 15 firefighters were inside the trailer around 5:45 p.m. running primary and secondary searches and approximately 50 percent of the trailer had been searched, he added.

Donehoo, in coordination with the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office,  planned to interview the estranged couple’s 10-year-old son Friday for clues about the girl’s location.