Mobile homes destroyed in early morning fire in Pinellas Park

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - Residents at Robert's Mobile Home RV Resort in Pinellas Park were awoken early Saturday morning by a fiery blaze.

For neighbor Kenneth Arent, he initially thought he was the victim of a theft when he woke up to a loud bang shortly after 3 a.m.

"I wasn't sure what was going on and it just sounded like somebody was trying to take the tool box off the back of my camper," said Arent, who lives across the street from where the fire happened.

The reality of what was actually happening was much worse.

"I opened the curtain and all I could see was flames. I would guess 30 to 40 feet at times," he said. "I was out before the firemen got here, and it was scary, it really was. I was terrified actually."

Within minutes, two of his neighbors' trailers were completely engulfed in flames, burning down before Arent's eyes.

"Nothing but flames. I yelled for my wife to get up, she was using the hose on the camper and I was on the roof swatting ashes off," Arent said.

No one was injured as a result of the fire. One homeowner wasn't home at the time of the blaze, and the other family was woken up by their dog, who helped them escape unharmed.

"They actually made it out the door, and they come out, they didn't have their keys or nothing," Arent said. "Everything burned, their vehicles, everything gone."

The fire didn't last long, but the damage was devastating.

"They got out with just what they had on," said Arent. "They lost everything."

While the investigation into the fire continues, neighbors said they have much to be thankful for.

"We didn't really get any damage except our awnings got a few holes in it, but it's nothing next to what happened here," said Arent. "Just looking at it, thinking they were in there. When I found out they weren't, I was so relieved."

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.