Two injured in Clearwater mobile home fire

A Pinellas County sheriff's deputy and fire officials stand outside a Clearwater mobile home that was destroyed by fire this morning. [Photo \ Luis Perez]

A man and a woman were seriously injured and left homeless this morning after a raging fire destroyed their mobile home in Clearwater.

The fire at 2291 Gulf to Bay Boulevard, inside the New Ranch Mobile Home Park near Belcher Road, gutted the structure, fire officials said. It began at 4:20 a.m.

The victims, 41-year-old Reba Godbey and 43-year-old Michael Oboikovitz, were taken to Tampa General Hospital with minor burns and smoke inhalation.

Both victims were outside the home when firefighters arrived. It took eight units and 27 firefighters from the Clearwater Fire Department half an hour to fight the blaze.

The fire is under investigation.

Oboikovitz was in critical condition and Godbey was in serious condition. Both of them were being kept in the burn unit at Tampa General Hospital.

Property manager Doris Marsh said she was told by authorities that the fire began in the bedroom.

She said Oboikovitz had lived there since July 2006. In the past year he had turned his life around and put a lot of effort into sprucing up the mobile home. Marsh said he was one of her "star" tenants.

Neighbor Ronnie Davidson said he was visiting with the Oboikovitz and Godbey late last night. They got together to celebrate the holiday season. Davidson and Oboikovitz were drinking beer. Godbey was drinking wine, Davidson said.

"This is a couple that was coming up," Davidson said as he looked over the fire.

The 52-inch television was among the wreckage strewn on the lot. The Christmas lights that Godbey hung over the living room were destroyed, too.

"This is devastating," Davidson said.

Luis Perez and Jonathan Abel, Times Staff Writers

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