"It exploded right in my face," she said. Minor burns were on her face and arms. "I'm surprised it didn't take all my hair off."

The fire quickly gutted Huttula's mobile home at the Horseshoe Trailer Lodge in the 3400 block of Stoll Road. It also damaged the roof of a neighboring unit. The only other injury was suffered by a woman who was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

Neighbors using garden hoses worked to keep the flames from spreading to nearby homes, and one rescued Huttula's 1-year-old dachshund.

Two dozen Olympia firefighters arrived and extinguished the blaze within five minutes. They hadn't determined the value of the destroyed home by Wednesday night.

When the fire erupted at 2:45 p.m., Huttula retrieved a fire extinguisher that was old and didn't work, she said.

She then followed her dog, Lilly, out the door. But Lilly ran back inside.

Huttula returned to rescue her dog when the manager, Sid Evans, came in after her.

Evans told her to get out and resumed the search for Lilly. He found the dog and took her out of the burning structure.

Evans said Huttula cherishes her dog.

"If she's out," he said, "the dog is in her arms."

Huttula, who has insurance, said she'll live with her parents in Elma until she can find a new home.

Angela Hernandez said she glanced out the window of her nearby duplex and saw the fire.

"The guy was standing out here with his hose, and I said, 'Oh, my God,' " she said.

Jeff McGrath and his wife, Dema, ran over to help.

McGrath said the fire moved fast and was intense.

"I'm telling you, that thing went up in a heartbeat," he said.

The woman who was treated at the scene, a neighbor, has asthma and inhaled smoke when the intense heat shattered the mobile home's windows and smoke poured out.

Christian Hill covers the city of Lacey and the military for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5427 or at chhill@olympia.gannett.com.