MEXICO – A Mexico woman who was seriously burned Tuesday night when her trailer caught fire during violent thunderstorms was in fair condition Wednesday afternoon at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, according to fire and hospital officials.

Suzanne Waterhouse, 71, suffered smoke inhalation and second-degree burns on her arms and feet, according to fire Chief Gary Wentzell and Med-Care Ambulance Service Director Dean Milligan.

“She was very lucky considering all the amount of fire,” said fire investigator Ken McMaster of the Maine Office of State Fire Marshal by phone on Wednesday in Augusta. He went to the scene late Tuesday night, because an injury was involved.

“She said she came out of the bedroom and saw fire in the stove area. I think she tried to put it out and I think it got too far ahead of her,” Wentzell said early Wednesday afternoon.

Waterhouse’s three pets – two cats and an elderly Shih Tzu dog – died from smoke inhalation, he added.

On Wednesday morning, McMaster ruled the fire, which gutted the 1969 Hillcrest mobile home, as accidental. It is owned by Waterhouse’s brother, Ted Gotto, who is vacationing in Alaska, Wentzell said.

MacMaster and Wentzell said they suspected the fire started from either a candle on the stove or was electrical.

The fire started shortly before 10 p.m. in the living room/kitchen area while Waterhouse was in the bedroom, Wentzell said.

Firetruck driver Mike Chartier was the first to arrive, followed by Wentzell.

“When Mike pulled up on the scene, he went up a long driveway and I ran up the driveway to do a size-up and he kept laying on the air horn, because he actually saw her in through the windows of the room and it looked like she was trying to go back in, and he was trying to get her attention,” Wentzell said.

The trailer was fully engulfed.

“Fire was blowing out all the windows and she stepped out the front door with fire blowing out right behind her was the way it was explained to me,” Milligan said of the situation when he arrived to help.

Waterhouse was taken by Med-Care to Rumford Hospital at 10:30 p.m., and then at 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, she was transferred to the Lewiston hospital.

Eighteen Mexico firefighters and eight Rumford firefighters attacked the fire despite worries about intense lightning, high wind and heavy downpours.

“Thunder and lighting was crashing all over the Mexico Ledges above us behind her house. She had a metal roof on the trailer and we wanted to cut a hole in the roof, but we didn’t dare with the lightning, so we waited for the storm to go by before we cut a hole to release heat.

“The storm kept blowing around and the thunder and lightning and downpours were wicked. It would let up for a few minutes and then it would be back on us again. It did that for two hours,” Wentzell said.

“It was really pounding when I was there last night. Very adverse conditions. The Mexico Fire Department really did a good job putting the fire out and preserving the scene. They gave us a lot to work with. They did a fast, aggressive interior attack and that, combined with the immediate first-aid and rescue, was quite a feat. I can’t praise them enough,” McMaster said.

The trailer, assessed by the town at $9,350, was believed to be insured.