By ANNA BROWN

JONESVILLE — Kristy Whitesides and her three children escaped their burning mobile home Monday morning with nothing but their lives and their pajamas.

“I woke up and my feet were burning,” Ms. Whitesides said of the 12:45 a.m. blaze at her home on 217 C Street in Jonesville. “I looked up and saw the fire. I hollered to the kids to go out the front door. I came out the bedroom window, the fire was blocking between us. I’m just glad we made it out.”

The fire in Jonesville was one of two in the county Monday that destroyed mobile homes. The second occurred in Monarch on 158-A Lofton Drive around 1 p.m.

Ms. Whitesides owned the mobile home and lived there with her three children- Seth Blackwell, 13; Jacob Whitesides, 11; and Zackary Whitesides, 9. Seth attends Jonesville Middle School and the two younger children attend Jonesville Elementary School.

Jonesville Fire Chief Jimmy Wilkins said the fire is thought to have been caused by an electrical short circuit.

“But we haven’t made that determination yet,” he said.

The fire appeared to have started in a bedroom near the mobile home’s rear exit door. The home was not equipped with smoke detectors. Bonham and Kelly-Kelton fire departments assisted Jonesville in fighting the fire.

Ms. Whitesides said the fire could not have come at a worse time. She is part of a seasonal layoff from her job at Meyco and expects to return to work in July.

The family is currently staying with a friend on 120 B St. They are being assisted by the American Red Cross but have clothing and other needs.

Seth wears size 16 pants and shirt. Jacob wears size 14 pants and shirt. Zachary is a size 10 in both. Ms. Whitesides wears size 14 pants and an extra large shirt.

Anyone wanting to make a clothing donation to the family may drop it off at 120 B St., where they are temporarily staying or call Ms. Whitesides at 441-8678.

Monarch fire

Four departments fought a blaze at the home of Venita Williams on Lofton Drive. Monarch Fire Department Assistant Chief David McCarley said Ms. Williams was not at home at the time of the fire. He said the blaze likely was electrical in nature and was thought to have started in the kitchen.

“It (the kitchen) was gutted and didn’t leave us much to work with,” McCarley said.

Firefighters from Philippi, the City of Union and the Union County Fire and Rescue Squad responded to assist Monarch. McCarley said the blaze was contained to the kitchen, but the living room sustained smoke and water damage and the bedrooms and bathroom received heat and smoke damage.

The mobile home was owned by David Erwin.