Nancy Hillis, Danika Alderfer Killed In Greenfield Mobile Home Fire on Greet Street

Unsafe Premises - April 6, 2022

Nancy Hillis, 77, Danika Alderfer, 11 months, Died In Greenfield Mobile Home Fire Along Green Street

Nancy Hillis, Danika Alderfer Killed In Greenfield Mobile Home Fire on Greet Street

GREENFIELD, ILLINOIS (April 6, 2022) – A woman identified as Nancy Hillis and a toddler identified as Danika Alderfer died in a mobile home fire on Green Street.

Greene County officials are saying that the accident took place around 12:23 p.m. on Thursday. Nancy Hillis and Danika Alderfer were in a double wide trailer when a fire started under unclear circumstances.

Firefighters and paramedics were called to the trailer park in order to help both of the victims. Sadly, Nancy Hillis and Danika Alderfer were not able to escape the blaze and were pronounced dead at the scene.

Three others inside the mobile home were taken to a hospital for treatment. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.

Liability In Greenfield Mobile Home Fires

Fires are a major source of serious injury in death in the United States. According to one report from The Zebra, “In a five-year period, house fires caused 2,620 deaths and $6.9 billion in property damage (NFPA). In 2018, the national average was 2.5 civilian fire deaths and 9.8 injuries per 1,000 fires (NFDR).” There are a number of different factors that could potentially contribute to a home fire:

  • Home cooking
  • Faulty wiring
  • Space heaters
  • Battery malfunctions

Depending on the specific facts of any case, there could be numerous liable parties for a mobile home fire. The company that owns or maintains a mobile home park could potentially be liable for a fire in one of their units. Pursuant to Illinois Civil Code (740 ILCS 130/), property owners have a legal duty to use reasonable care to maintain their property in a safe condition. If a property owner knew (or should have known) about a dangerous condition on their property and failed to correct it, this could form the basis of a negligence claim.

There are many ways that a mobile home could potentially be in a dangerous condition. It could lack fire/smoke detectors as required by Illinois law. The mobile home may have had faulty wiring, lacked adequate weatherproofing, lacked other plumbing or had other defects which created an unreasonable risk of fire. Liability could also extend to a company that manufactured a product.

Companies have a legal obligation to create products that are reasonably safe and must warn about the non-obvious dangers associated with the use of their products. Many products run off of lithium ion battery packs. It’s not uncommon for these batteries to inadvertently combust and start fires. the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that around 5,000 fires a year were started with products using lithium ion battery packs. There are a number of steps that should be taken after any home fire.

  • The source of the blaze should be determined.
  • Medical records should be preserved.
  • Maintenance records for the mobile home should be examined.
  • A thorough, independent investigation should be conducted.

The family of any victim that died in a mobile home fire may have legal recourse through Illinois Civil Code (740 ILCS 180/). Damages can help cover lost wages, medical bills and funeral expenses. Sadly, though, companies will often fight extremely hard to deny responsibility for any accident. A wrongful death attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.

Investigating A Greenfield Mobile Home Fire

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the families of Nancy Hillis and Danika Alderfer. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what happened for the sake of all who have lost so much. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent similar tragedies.

Do you need more information about an Illinois mobile home fire? Our team of consumer safety advocates are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that accident victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into an accident we are here for you.  You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.