An adult and two children died in a fire Tuesday at a San Jose mobile home, firefighters said.
The blaze was first reported at about 12:30 p.m. at the Golden Wheel Park, located at 900 Golden Wheel Park Drive, Fire Capt. Mike Van Elgort.
Upon arrival, firefighters found that a mobile home was completely engulfed in flames and had partially collapsed.
Firefighters, however, were able to knock down the blaze about a half hour later.
Three victims were confirmed dead in the fire, a man and two kids.
"It's a terrible tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with the family for their loss," Val Elgort said. "This is tough to handle for the fire department as well," Van Elgort said.
According to a neighbor, the adult victim was inside the mobile home when a loud noise was heard before the blaze broke out. The neighbor said it appeared as if the man himself also caught fire, according to Van Elgort.
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Van Elgort said that mobile homes, because of their lightweight construction, tend to burn faster and more aggressively.
Witness Arlene Garcia said neighbors tried to use their garden hoses to put the fire out, but it didn't work.
"They were trying to break it open with rocks because we weren't sure anybody was home," witness Denise Farkas said.
Mobile home residents are encouraged to always be very careful when cooking and to make sure they have working smoke detectors. In the event of a fire, residents should immediately evacuate the home instead of trying to put out the blaze, according to Van Elgort.
NBC Bay Area's Ian Cull contributed to this report.
