From The Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM — A deadly house fire in east Jefferson County is under investigation and the Center Point Fire Chief is continuing to spread his message of fire safety.
Jerry Lewis McReath, 65, of Birmingham, was inside a mobile home in Hidden Valley mobile home park, when it caught fire.
The fire happened overnight. Center Point Fire and Rescue responded around 3:07 a.m. to the location at 2802 Potts Hollow Road.
Fire Chief Gene Coleman said the trailer was on fire and neighbors had pulled McReath out of the home and were trying to care for him when paramedics arrived.
McReath was taken to UAB Hospital where he later died. Another woman was also taken to the hospital with injuries and she is expected to survive, Coleman said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation but Coleman said his department will not stop warning people of the dangers of house fires.
“It is another tragic house fire,” Coleman said. “We want everyone to remember: Keep a beep where you sleep and close the door where you snore, and we still make house calls!”
The Center Point Fire District and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office are investigating.