'It was chaotic': Oakland County mobile home fire kills woman neighbors tried to save

BRANDON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - A fatal fire in a mobile home park early Monday morning leaves a 13-year-old boy now left without his mother.

The backstory:

The cause of the Brandon Township fire which broke out just after 7 a.m. is still not known, but investigators do not think it was suspicious.

"It was an unfortunate, awful, awful thing that happened," said a neighbor Ralanda Dugan.

"My mother said she heard an explosion in the living room, it sounded like a loud bang or pop," said neighbor Robert Elder.

The teen who lived there and his two friends got out, but his 46-year-old mother was trapped inside.

"It was chaotic. There were people running around, screaming trying to figure out if everybody was out," Elder said.

When they realized the mother was still inside — neighbors rushed in to try and save her before firefighters arrived.

"We were pulling on her, and then we would almost take turns pulling on her. At one point I think we both grabbed her arms trying to pull on her," Elder said.

The flames so big and so hot — they even melted the siding on the neighbors’ homes.

"That’s how intense the heat was, and it was hard trying to get her out," he said. "The heat was so hot. It’s like being by the sun almost."

Sadly — they couldn’t get her out.

"We pretty much heard her take her last breath," he said. "That was the hardest part.

"We tried our best, we did what we could. I wish it was more successful."

Oakland County Sheriff Fire investigators are working to determine what caused the fire.

"Whether something was a spark, if  it was accidental, if it was intentional, that’s what they do," Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.

This tragedy is a reminder.

"How quick homes catch on fire - just makes you understand anything can happen," Dugan said.

"If you haven’t, you should check your carbon monoxide and smoke alarms number one," Bouchard said. "And number two, have an emergency exit plan."