Longtime Fountain Valley woman dies in blaze

Torus Tammer

FOUNTAIN VALLEY -- Longtime Fountain Valley resident Maria Rodgers died

tragically in a house fire early Monday. Firefighters from Fountain

Valley and Huntington Beach responded to Maple Street at 2:50 a.m. and

were met by heavy smoke and fire that had consumed the ground floor and

was making its way to the second story.

Firefighters gained control of the blaze shortly after 3 a.m., but not

before two men from the Fountain Valley crew suffered minor injuries,

said Fountain Valley Fire Chief Mark Hascall.

Authorities said the woman’s husband, Frank Rodgers, 67, awoke to the

smell of smoke and ran downstairs to try to save his disabled wife, but

he was unsuccessful. Fighting his way back upstairs through dense smoke

and extreme heat, Rodgers headed for the telephone and discovered the

line was dead, fire officials said. He escaped the home through the

garage and ran across the street to a neighbor’s house on Poinsettia

Avenue and called 911.

Authorities suspect a cigarette may have ignited the blaze. An

investigation was still being conducted at press time. Foul play is not

suspected, officials said.

“Although it appears her body was found in the area where the fire

started, a full investigation will be conducted to find the cause of the

fire,” Hascall said.

Cindy Borden, 14, lives across the street from the Rodgers home and

witnessed the fire.

“My mom was in the hospital because she just had a baby, and my friend

who was sleeping over woke me up,” Cindy said. “It was a little scary

because when we went outside, there were fire trucks and police cars and

everything was roped off -- and I saw that Mr. Rodgers was standing on

the corner with the neighbors watching the firemen put out the fire in

his house.”

Neighbors said Maria Rodgers kept to herself much of the time.

“She was an invalid, so she wasn’t out and about much,” neighbor Steve

Crowley said. “Because she was in a wheelchair, I’d basically just see

her come in and out of the van.”

Cindy also didn’t see Maria Rodgers much.

“I only met them once, and they were both really nice,” she said.

Crowley, who said he was friendly with Rodgers, said the couple purchased

their home on Maple more than 30 years ago. He said Maria Rodgers’ ties

to the community spanned an even longer period of time.

“They were the original owners of their house -- and I believe they

bought the place in the late ‘60s or so,” Crowley said. “I remember them

when we moved in 12 years ago. It’s a shame. They’ve been part of this

community for many years.”