A quiet pre‑dawn hour ended in tragedy in Grand Oak Mobile Home Park, off 61st Avenue in Escambia County, Florida, when a fire tore through a single‑wide mobile home and claimed the lives of two young boys and the family dog.
Fire crews from Escambia County Fire Rescue (ECFR) were dispatched at 12:56 a.m. to the 5900 block of Flaxman Street and arrived to find the home fully engulfed in flames. By 1:17 a.m., the fire had been declared under control, yet the devastation was already clear.
Upon making entry into the burning home, firefighters discovered that 9‑year‑old Vayden Orum and 7‑year‑old Rayden Smith — along with the family’s dog — had died. The two boys were students at Sherwood Elementary School, located about one mile from the home, and the loss has hit the community hard.
Three other family members — two adults and one child — were treated on‑scene by EMS and subsequently transported to local hospitals with fire‑related injuries. Meanwhile, the mobile home was deemed a total loss, leaving the remaining children and their mother displaced.
Grandmother Lisa Pinegar, who lives in Tennessee, described the tragedy as a “real bad dream” and confirmed the family will stay with her while they navigate the aftermath and next steps. A GoFundMe page has also been established in support of the family during this heartbreaking time.
Investigators from the Florida Bureau of Fire, Arson and Explosives, with assistance from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, are actively probing the cause of the fire. No further details have been released at this time.
As the community mourns the loss of these two bright young lives, neighbors, school officials, and friends are rallying around the family — offering emotional support, resources, and hope. The boys’ laughter, spirit, and presence will be deeply missed, yet their memory is already becoming a unifying force in Escambia County’s effort to heal and help.