A woman trapped in a burning mobile home apparently tried to escape the flames by crawling into her bathtub, Oceanside firefighters said Monday.
The woman, identified by family as Dianna Hollis, was found dead Sunday evening in a back bathroom of the home on North River Road. The water in the tub was running, officials said.
Officials responding to the call of a fire inside the Lamplighter Mobile Home Park arrived at approximately 6:30 p.m. and found Dianna's injured husband Andy outside the home.
Andy suffered serious burns to his face and upper body and was airlifted to the UCSD Burn Center. He told firefighters there were two others — his wife and stepson — still inside the home, and he begged crews to rescue them.
Tane Te'i, a 16-year-old neighbor, shot video of the fiery scene.
"The community was like working together to get [the fire] down," Te'i said. "Everyone grabbed a garden hose and making sure to get everyone out of the house."
Neighbors helped pull Andy to safety, but it was too late for Dianna.
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The stepson, who was considered unaccounted for hours after the fire, has "voluntarily spoken with the investigating detectives" and is not considered a suspect or person of interest in the fire, Oceanside police said.
Her family, who were visibly upset as they arrived at the scene, describes the victim as a woman with a big heart, even in the midst of trying times.
"Dianna was a very kind and loving grandmother," said her grandson Marshall Giles.
Emotions overflowed Monday as her daughter Vera came to grips with Dianna's death. The family says Dianna lived in the same mobile park with her husband for more than 30 years.
Dianna, born in the Philippines, was a deeply religious woman who worshipped at Mission San Luis Rey. She did what she could to help both strangers and family.
"Even through the tough times, even though I didn't ask for it, she'd pay me to clean the backyard," said her neighbor Tumanako Te'i.
Neighbors told NBC 7 Dianna was in a car accident a few months ago that left her using a walker to get around. So when the fire ripped through her home, she could not escape.
Two dogs were also burned in the fire. They were rescued and are recovering with the help of local humane society staff.
The carport of a nearby home also burned. Investigators say clutter inside the mobile home made it hard to extinguish the flames.
Giles told NBC 7 he wishes he would have stopped by Sunday to help clean up.
"I was going to come and do the same thing yesterday. I missed that opportunity," he said. "That's the worst thing to me."
The fire was under control in approximately 40 minutes, Oceanside Fire Department officials said.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
