A man who was spending his first night in his newly-rented mobile home escaped through a window when fire swept through the mobile home at 990 Yellow Springs Road early this morning.

A report filed by Deputy Sheriff Robert Livingston said Freeman Thomas Jr., 39, told officers that he had awakened about 3:15 a.m. and had found the mobile home filled with smoke.

The Sheriff's Department report said Thomas, who was able to escape through a bedroom window, had only moved into the mobile home on Sunday.

The mobile home, which the report said was owned by Gary Key, of Yellow Springs Road, was valued at $10,000, while its contents were valued at $5,000.

Anthony Ball, chief of the Midway Volunteer Fire Department, said Thomas told firefighters that he initially attempted to escape the burning mobile home through its front door.

But he was unable to make his way through dense smoke, so he retreated to his bedroom, from where he managed to climb over an air-conditioning unit and get out through a window.

The fire, according to the Sheriff's Department report, apparently began on the front porch of the mobile home.

Chief Ball said 15 firefighters and five trucks from the Midway and Mosheim Volunteer Fire Departments managed to confine the fire to the living room and kitchen areas of the mobile home, and extinguished the flames using about 3,000 gallons of water.

However, Chief Ball said, the fire destroyed all the unpacked possessions that Thomas had just moved into the trailer on Sunday.

Investigation of the fire has been turned over to Lt. Jakie Christy, a Sheriff's Department fire investigator.

Also responding to the fire early today were a Greene County-Greeneville Emergency Medical Services ambulance, a Greeneville Light & Power System crew, and a disaster services unit from the Greene County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The Mosheim and Midway volunteer fire departments also responded about 11 a.m. on Sunday to a fire that heavily damaged an unoccupied mobile home at 625 Anderson Loop.

A report filed by Deputy Sheriff Michael Jones said the mobile home, which was owned by William Jones, of Anderson Loop, was unoccupied at the time of the fire, but had electric power.

The Sheriff's Department report indicated that owner Jones was notified by a passerby on Sunday morning that the mobile home was on fire.

Firefighters from the Mosheim and Midway VFDs confined the blaze to the front room, bedroom and roof of the mobile home, according to the Sheriff's Department report.

The report listed the value of the mobile home at $3,000.

The fire rekindled about 9:45 a.m. today, sending firefighters back to the scene, according to radio transmissions between Greene County 911 and responding firefighters.