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Woman Dies In Polk City Fire

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By BILLY TOWNSEND | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 28, 2007

Updated: 12/28/2007 02:44 pm

POLK CITY - A 46-year-old woman was found dead in her bedroom after what appears to have been an accidental fire at her trailer late Thursday night, the Polk County Sheriff's Office reported.

Investigators identified the woman as Karin Wright. An autopsy verified that and found smoke inhalation to be the cause of death, sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers said.

The trailer is at 1585 Marker Road, a rural street just south of Interstate 4. Rodgers said Wright had been living in the trailer with two daughters and a boyfriend of one of the daughters, all of whom escaped unharmed.

A third daughter and her boyfriend were living in a shed behind the trailer, Rodgers said.

The fire began about 11:30 p.m. Thursday, Rodgers said. It first was noticed by the residents of the shed, who were able to warn the younger people in the trailer.

Attempts to rouse Wright from her bedroom were unsuccessful, Rodgers said. She was found dead in the bedroom after the fire was extinguished.

The fire appears to have started in a bathroom, Rodgers said.

The state fire marshal's office will determine the cause of the blaze, Rodgers said

The fire is the eighth in the past week for Polk County, according to the county's chapter of the Red Cross. The holidays and winter typically bring numerous home fires, but the frequency of fires in the past week is unusual, Red Cross spokesman Phil Attinger said.

"Home fires remain the most common disaster for Red Cross responders, and the Polk County Chapter has seen a spike over the Christmas holidays," Attinger says in a news release.

Thursday night's fire was the first to cause a death or injury this holiday season, according to the Red Cross.

Reporter Billy Townsend can be reached at (863) 284-1409 or wtownsend@tampatrib.com.

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