PEYTON NEELY The Marietta Times The remains Wednesday of a mobile home that ignited in flames early Tuesday morning at 1485 Hanna Road in Marietta.

WARREN TWP.–A Washington County Career Center student remained in critical condition Wednesday after his family’s mobile home was engulfed in flames early Tuesday, leaving him with severe burns.

Austin Wittekind, 17, of Marietta, was home with a friend and his mother when the fire broke out.

The fire happened at 1485 Hanna Road, just outside of Marietta in Warren Township. The Warren Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene after receiving a call at 5:09 a.m.

“We lost everything, even our car,” said Austin’s mother, Leslie Wittekind, 44, of Marietta. “We aren’t sure what happened.”

Leslie said she was awakened by her two pit bulls Tuesday morning. Thinking it was the storm that swept through the Mid-Ohio Valley, she hushed the dogs and went back to sleep. When the youngest dog, 1-year-old Marley, began acting hysterical, Leslie got up to check outside her door and was met with a wall of fire and smoke.

“The entire wall in front of me was on fire,” she said.

At the other end of the home was Austin, along with his best friend, Zane McGowen, 17, who also lived there. Leslie and McGowen were left with a few cuts and scratches but Austin suffered severe second-degree burns on his face, ears, arms, hands and back, estimated to cover 20 percent of his body.

“Austin tried to save our dogs,” said Leslie, choking back tears on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, they were both too scared to come out of the house and were left inside.”

Leslie said she escaped through the window of the bedroom and McGowen and Austin left through the front door.

“We lost our hedgehog, guinea pig and seven cats too,” said Leslie. “All that really matters is that I still have my boys.”

According to Leslie’s mother-in-law Nancy Wittekind, 70, Austin was found lying on the porch after he’d left the house, having been burned and inhaling smoke.

“Zane had gone out the door and Austin was following after they both tried to get the dogs out,” she said. “Zane tried breaking the back windows to get the dogs out and couldn’t. After he left the house, he saw Austin lying on the porch and dragged him away from the burning mobile home.”

Nancy said Austin and his mother have an unbreakable bond, especially following another family tragedy in 2015. Austin’s brother, Chace Wittekind, 22, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of the boys’ father, Delmar Wittekind II, 44. The shooting followed a physical altercation between Chace and Leslie at the home. During the incident, Austin shot and injured Chace in an attempt to stop him.

“Austin is a very strong boy,” said Nancy. “I don’t know how to explain it but we are all very close as a family. It’s been a really tough ride for him. His dad was his best friend and he was taken away from him. We don’t know what’ll happen and my other grandson (Chace) could get out in less than 10 years and that’s another thing we will have to face.”

Austin is currently being treated for his burns at The Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus. He was placed in a medically-induced coma and according to Nancy, doctors planned to slowly bring him out of it late Wednesday.

Nancy said she will be accepting donations on behalf of the family as they lost all their possessions.

“Anyone can text or call me,” she said. “I’ll accept donations at my house but everything they have is completely melted.”

Nancy Wittekind’s number is 740-373-8249.

Staff from the career center have been collecting gift cards, gas cards and money for Austin’s family as well. Austin is a student in the auto collisions program there.

The cause of the fire is still unknown. Leslie Wittekind said she thinks it could have been caused by the storm or a bad water heater in the home but Warren Township Fire Chief Mark Wile said Wednesday it was still undetermined.

“Usually when you arrive to a fire you can notice more fire in one part of the home and guess what might’ve caused it,” he said. “When I arrived on the scene, the whole trailer was engulfed and there’s no telling where it came from.”

The fire is being investigated by the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office.

“The fire was totally involved in the entire trailer,” Wile said. “We even called Oak Grove Fire Department for water supplies and extra hands. There was a lot of ammunition going off in the home so we had to wait for it to stop firing off. We also had to direct the fire away from the other vehicles as it had already engulfed one.”