OCEANSIDE, Calif. — In December, an Oceanside firefighter responded to a raging inferno at his own father's home. In this Zevely Zone, I learned how one tragedy could end up saving future lives. This story is proof that when a house fire erupts, every second counts.
On December 16, when a mobile home caught on fire at the Cavalier Mobile Estates, 74-year-old Tim Dorse escaped with the clothes on his back.
"I noticed tons of smoke coming out the back window," said Tim who lost everything in the fire.
His son Blake Dorse is a Division Chief for Oceanside Fire.
"So, at that moment my heart sank," said Chief Dorse.
On that day, he received an alert on his phone and raced to the scene.
"I ran up through the fire engines that were working and I saw him out standing across the street, so I went from the lowest feeling I have ever had in my life to the most joyful and appreciative I have ever been," said Chief Dorse.
Tim will never forget that hug from his son. "He said oh my god dad you are alive and he put his arms around me," said Tim.
Investigators suspect the fire was sparked by an electrical problem. Tim had smoke detectors in his house but it was time for new ones, so he took the old ones down. Tim had gone to Lowe's and bought new smoke detectors, but had not installed them yet when the fire broke out.
"I'm the idiot who let his place burn down," said Tim.
Although he was embarrassed, Blake was just glad his father was alive.
"We wanted to do something to make sure that this tragedy didn't happen to any other individual in this park," said Chief Dorse.
He organized a free community event on April 20. Volunteers installed 137 smoke detectors in many homes that didn't have them. Chief Dorse teamed up with the Oceanside Fire Department, Measure X hired EMTs, the Oceanside CERT Team, the American Red Cross, the Burn Institute and the Oceanside Firefighter's Association.
"Had my father had smoke alarms properly installed and working in the appropriate places then this might have been prevented. We might have been able to save his home. Two-thirds of all the deaths occur in homes that don't have properly installed smoke alarms," said Chief Dorse.
"It's going to save lots of lives," said Tim. "I'm like amazed he is a hero."
Chief Dorse tries to treat everyone like family and on this fire it was.
"I am incredibly proud of my son and thankful for Oceanside Fire," said Tim. "Thank god for Blake."
Volunteers also installed 40 carbon monoxide detectors at Cavalier Mobile Estates. Tim Dorse is close to getting a new home from his insurance settlement.
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