A Lakeside woman was severely burned in a recreational vehicle fire Monday morning and life-flighted to a Portland hospital.

“It just happened so danged fast,” said Debbie Watts, 54, the manager of the Seadrift Motel and RV Park in Lakeside. “When she came out she was on fire. A gentleman pulled her over into my yard and put her out.”

According to a Reedsport Police Department log entry, at approximately 10 a.m., an emergency caller reported a person living at the motel, located at 72363 U.S. Highway 101, had been burned.

This morning, Watts said the victim identified as Maxine Sheffield, 54, was inside an RV at the time the fire broke out. The blaze began around 9:40 a.m. and totally destroyed the RV and killed Sheffield's toy poodle named Gizzy.

Sheffield, a relative of Watts', had been living at the RV park for about a year.

“I'm still shook up about it, but she is a tough lady and she will make it,” Watts said.

Watts said she was at the store getting some soda for Sheffield, who had been sick for days, when the fire broke out. A state fire marshal was on scene investigating the fire Monday and was scheduled to return today, Watts said.

Reedsport Fire Chief Tom Anderson said his department was en route but that the Lakeside Volunteer Rural Fire Department responded first and called Reedsport off before arrival.

No update on Sheffield's condition was available by press time.