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Harris County trailer fire kills teen, firefighter hospitalized
The storms from early Sunday morning are suspected to be the cause of a deadly house fire, resulting in the death of a 17-year-old in Harris County. FOX 26's Shelby Rose has more on the emotional story of a man who tried to save the teen's life.
HOUSTON - A mobile home fire in northwest Harris County has claimed a teenage boy's life and left his family in mourning.
Firefighters have not disclosed an actual cause of the fire, but it happened around 3 a.m. in the 12400 block of Cutten Rd. on Champions.
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Firefighters say several trailer homes with dozens of residents were affected by the flames. Responding crews found the first home in flames when they arrived, a second home was also damaged while firefighters were working.
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A 17-year-old boy, family identified as Franklin "Fran" Moncada, was killed due to the fire and two other men suffered burn injuries, trying to get him out. One of whom, Moncada's father, was taken to a hospital in stable condition and the other, Gerson Aguilar, his cousin, suffered burn injuries but did not need to be hospitalized.
"I tried to get my cousin out," Aguilar said. "He screamed: Cousin! Cousin! Get me out! And I couldn’t. I went through, and fire or an explosion threw me back. I then took a pickax and went through the back."
"There is an A/C and I moved it like this because he was alive," Aguilar continued. "And he kept telling Cousin! Help Me! Cousin get me out! I am burning! When a piece off roofing fell on me and burned me."
Fran Moncada (Photo courtesy of Facebook, family shared permission)
Another firefighter was also hospitalized due to heat exhaustion, officials said. At last check, authorities said they are expected to be OK.
Due to the lack of fire hydrants in the area, firefighters said they encountered challenges extinguishing flames. Instead, they had to run water hoses down the road.
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Moncada's father also tried everything to save him before Aguilar pulled him out. "It’s the reason he’s alive," said family friend, Gerardo Ramos. "It’s the reason he’s still living because if he didn’t, he [would] die with him."
(Photo: FOX 26 Houston)
"He’s really bad," he continued. "It’s probably 50 percent burns all over his body."
It’s devastating for this family, as Moncada moved from Honduras to America just five months ago searching for a better life.
"We lost everything, but we can get that back," Aguilar said through tears. "But not my cousin’s life."
(Photo: FOX 26 Houston)
Family members and neighbors at the scene told FOX 26 a lightning strike may have caused the fire, but that has not been confirmed by firefighters.
"We were sleeping when supposedly, you can see the mark on the tree there, lightning struck, I don't know, and the power lines blew up," said Aguilar.
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Residents claim lightning strike caused deadly mobile home fire: video
Surveillance video shared by homeowners, who asked to remain anonymous, shows moments before a mobile home in northwest Harris County burst into flames. A 17-year-old boy was killed in the fire and his father and cousin suffered serious burn injuries trying to rescue him.
And while an investigation remains underway to determine the cause, firefighters said it could be a possibility.
This story will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.