Occupant dies in North Liberty mobile home fire

A person was found dead late Tuesday inside a North Liberty mobile home where crews were called to fight a fire.

According to the North Liberty Fire Department, crews were dispatched shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday to 95 Golf View Court. A police officer who was first to arrive saw flames at the front door and at a back window. Fire crews found a fire in the living room, which they quickly extinguished.

An occupant and three dogs were found inside, all dead, authorities said. The name of the occupant has not yet been released. The Johnson County Medical Examiner and the State Fire Marshal’s Office were called to the scene.

A cause of the fire has not been determined.

In a week’s span in November, four children died in a fire in Mason City; a retired couple died in a fire in northeast Cedar Rapids; and a fire in Onslow claimed another child. The fatality rate from fires in such a short time period was the worst Iowa has seen in at least 16 years.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office reported that 32 people have died in Iowa fires this year. The number, which is based on completed investigations only, does not yet include the seven people who died in Iowa house fires in November.