84-year-old woman and 9-month-old girl killed in mobile home fire in Liberty County, officials say

An 84-year-old woman and a 9-month-old girl were killed in a mobile home fire Tuesday night in Liberty County, officials said.

Sadly, both were dead by the time firefighters arrived, authorities confirmed to ABC13.

According to the Tarkington Volunteer Fire Department, the call came in at about 7:50 p.m. in the 200 block of County Road 2198, approximately three miles east of the Cleveland Municipal Airport.

The fire occurred in a rural part of Liberty County, with Tarkington being the closest department.

Doc Sikes, a volunteer firefighter with Tarkington, said he was the first to arrive and entered the mobile home by himself. He told ABC13 it was family members who called 911 and told first responders that there were people trapped inside.

He found the woman dead in the hallway and got her body out of the structure with the help of additional crews that arrived shortly after. The baby was later found dead in the bedroom.

"This is definitely something that I'll carry with me for a very long time," Sikes said.

Officials said the heavy fire was coming from the living room, but firefighters were unable to isolate the room because the door had already burned.

"If you close your eyes, that's pretty much the visibility that I had. It was completely pitch black. The heat conditions were extremely hot. Older model mobile homes are built like aluminum cans, so they hold heat extremely well," Sikes said.

According to Chief Paul Gregory with the Tarkington Fire Department, the flames were quickly extinguished. He believes the victims may have died from smoke inhalation, but their exact cause of death is still being determined.

ABC13 is working to learn the relationship of the victims.

The fire marshal arrived Wednesday morning to investigate the scene. At this time, the cause of the fire is unknown.

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