Man who escaped house fire: ‘Don’t take life for granted’

Three people were forced out of their home and ten animals died after a fire broke out in a Palm Springs mobile home near Windy Point Saturday night.

Kenneth Sparks says he was sleeping when that fire broke out. He was able to escape, but ten of his pets weren’t so lucky.

“I literally could hear my animals yelling. I wanted to get back in there and save them,” said Sparks. It’s a memory etched into his mind as he says he watched his home burn.

“There was nothing I can do. A feeling of helpless, [and] scared,” Sparks said.

Ten of his animals were trapped inside the burning home.

Sparks says he was sleeping in his bedroom when the fire started. “When I woke up, I remember I smelled the smoke. My room was all fuzzy,” said Sparks. That’s when he escaped through a hole where a wall air conditioning unit was.

“I just remember yanking it [the air conditioning unit] out of the wall. I remember grabbing the home phone and I remember being on the porch with the operator,” Sparks recalled.

Sparks says four dogs were rescued from the flames, but the rest didn’t make it.

“My animals are my babies. They’re the reason why I was happy to come home and see them. All together it was 6 dogs, 8 cats and two birds. It was a house full of love,” said Sparks.

Sparks’ close friends started a GoFundMe page to help Sparks get back on his feet.

“Don’t take life for granted. Get out and live a little before it’s too late. Let people know that you love and care for them,” said Sparks.

He says it looks like the fire started near the heater, but the cause is still under investigation. Fire crews say putting out the blaze was a challenge because the mobile home park didn’t have hydrants on the property. It took crews about two hours to put out the flames.