Clinton RV Fire Leaves Woman With Severe Burns, Vehicle Destroyed

A woman living in an RV on a property off Highway 525 in Clinton suffered severe burns across much of her body Thursday morning after telling neighbors her propane heater "exploded" when she tried to light it. The vehicle was a total loss, and the woman required helicopter transport for specialized burn care.

South Whidbey Fire/EMS received calls from multiple neighbors around 8 a.m. on March 26, with initial reports suggesting the fire had spread to a nearby structure. Fire Chief Nick Walsh arrived on scene to find the blaze contained to the RV and immediately requested both an ambulance and a medevac helicopter. Ten department personnel split duties among firefighting, patient care, and preparing a 100-by-100-foot helicopter landing zone at Dan Porter Park, just up the road from the fire.

Battalion Chief Joe Burbank said crews brought the fire under control within the first five to ten minutes but remained on scene for over an hour, largely waiting for investigators. The timing offered one stroke of good fortune: dispatch received the calls exactly at shift change, effectively doubling the available crew. "We were very fortunate because it was right at shift change," Burbank said. "So we had the whole other shift able to respond with us." Under normal staffing, a single shift runs a minimum of four personnel.

Investigators are working to corroborate the victim's account. If propane is confirmed as the ignition source, it would fit a well-documented pattern. RVs are particularly vulnerable because propane lines, cooking appliances, and electrical systems occupy the same compact space as sleeping and living quarters. Common ignition points include cracked or corroded gas hoses, faulty regulator fittings, and improper lighting procedures on heaters and stoves.

The single most effective preventive measure is early detection. A working smoke alarm and a propane or LP-gas leak detector, mounted low where heavier-than-air gas settles, can provide the seconds needed to get out. Regular propane system inspections are the second priority: fittings, hoses, and regulators should be examined each season for wear or corrosion, and any odor of gas before lighting an appliance means ventilating and stepping outside, not proceeding. Third, every person sleeping in an RV should confirm their nearest exit opens freely and practice using it. Interior temperatures in a vehicle fire can reach life-threatening levels in under two minutes.

South Whidbey Fire/EMS covers 66 square miles at the southern end of the island, and Thursday's response illustrated the logistical weight of that geography: the burn victim's injuries required a facility well beyond what the island can provide, making the Dan Porter Park landing zone a critical link in her care chain. Those with questions about fire preparedness or in need of emergency assistance resources can contact the Island County Department of Emergency Management at 360-321-5111. Investigations into the fire's precise cause remain ongoing.