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Family remembers man killed in Lakewood brush fire
Last week, a brush fire spread to mobile homes in Lakewood, killing two people.
LAKEWOOD, Wash. - We're learning more about one of the victims who died after a fast-moving brush fire spread to a mobile home community in Lakewood last Friday.
Thomas Zmiarovich says his brother, 70-year-old Patrick Zmiarovich, was one of the two men who didn't make it out of his trailer before it burned to the ground.
Thomas says Patrick loved his neighbors at the Jamestown Estates mobile home park, the site of the fire on Aug. 4, and made friends wherever he went.
"He just had this sense of charisma and confidence," said Thomas.
Thomas looks back fondly on the time he spent with his younger brother, Patrick, growing up in Seattle. The family then later moved to Lake Tapps, where they stayed through high school.
"He was really good in sports. Girls loved him. Like I used to tell people, he could make friends with a rattlesnake," said Thomas.
Patrick graduated from Sumner High School in '71.
"Very fun person, he was very responsible, worked hard," said Thomas.
At one point in his adult life, Thomas said Patrick had some issues with addiction but had turned his life around. Thomas said he had a pension and was still very social with family and friends.
"An hour before this tragedy happened on Friday, he texted about my birthday," said Thomas. "I answered him, but he never answered back."
Thomas says that Patrick had quite a few health issues that prevented him from having full mobility. He says those could have impacted his ability to escape the fire.
RELATED: Officials say winds 'dramatically' shifted, causing fatal fire at Lakewood mobile home park
"Pat had two toes amputated. He thought he was going to lose a foot once to diabetes," said Thomas.
Thomas believes that Zach, the man who also lost his life in Patrick's trailer, may have been trying to help to get Patrick out.
"Pat was friends with him. He was friends with his mother, who died last year," said Thomas.
Thomas considers Zach a hero. He said neighbors told him Zach was very concerned about Patrick as the fire was racing toward the unit.
"Zach was asking everybody, ‘Where’s Pat? Did Pat get out?" said Thomas "He went to get Pat out, but by the time whatever happened, they were trapped. I don’t know Zach, but I consider him a hero. He risked his life going in for my brother."
Thomas says the family is now focused on supporting Patrick's surviving son, Jake, who lived with Patrick. He said Jake took pride in taking care of his dad over the past three years.
"He said he’s my dad and I love him and I have to take care of him," said Thomas.
Jake was gone at the time of the fire, working his job at Walmart. Now, Thomas says Jake is homeless, without a car and transportation to work. Thomas says Jake also lost his mother when she was killed in a hit-and-run incident about four years ago. An online fundraiser has been set up to help Jake get housing and clothes since everything he owned burned up in the fire.
Neighbors who lost everything in fatal Lakewood fire take stock of damage, remember victims
It was a dramatic scene Friday as a deadly brush fire raced towards residents in the Jamestown Estates mobile home park in Lakewood, leaving little time for escape.
"He’s pretty resilient for what he has to deal with," said Thomas. "He has a good heart."
The Lakewood Fire Chief, Jim Sharp, said Monday that the cause of the fire is still under investigation. It started in a field that sits near the mobile home park. Sharp said that changing winds played a role in the speed and spread of the fire.