MEINERS OAKS WOMAN DIES IN HOME BLAZE.

Byline: Don Holland Daily News Staff Writer

An 81-year-old woman who lived alone and needed the services of a hospital bed and wheelchair died as flames raced through her mobile home Sunday night.

Teresa Bullis was found in her bed at the Meiners Oaks Mobilehome Park on Rice Road by firefighters battling the blaze, which burned for about 15 minutes before being contained.

The Ventura County Coroner's Office said she was asphyxiated by smoke and carbon monoxide.

Ventura County Fire Department officials said they were unsure of the cause of the fire, but said the fact that the woman was hooked up to an oxygen tank may have contributed to its spread.

``Though oxygen is not flammable by itself, it may have accelerated the fire,'' said fire spokesman Joe Luna.

Investigators with the Fire Department are looking into the cause of the blaze.

``All I can tell you is upon arrival of the engine company, the mobile home was heavily involved in fire in the living room area,'' said Capt. Bob Myers of the department's Meiners Oaks station.

Bullis' body was found in the living room where she spent much of the time in bed.

Luna said Bullis lived alone in her mobile home, but had a caregiver who visited during the day. At some point before the fire broke out, he said, the caregiver left to go home for the night.

``It was a terrible tragedy,'' said neighbor Evelyn Cataldi. ``She was a paraplegic, and she was living alone there. My understanding is that she was on oxygen and she lit a cigarette. . . . When I went over there, I just saw this trashed mobile home. It was awful.''

Lois Wilson, manager of the mobile-home park, said the fire's heat caused windows to explode.

``The Fire Department had about three engines here,'' Wilson said. ``The mobile home was fully engulfed by the time they came.''

The fatal fire made the other mobile-home park residents aware of their vulnerability, Wilson said.

``A lot of them have known Teresa for years,'' she said. ``It's made them more aware of (fire safety) in their own places and the best way to get out in case of fire.''

Fire officials estimated damage to the mobile home at $30,000 and an additional $15,000 in damage to the contents.