High winds fueled a fire that destroyed a two-story home in the 1000 block of Big Sky Drive in the Winter Valley subdivision in the Fenton area on May 1, Saline Valley Fire Chief Bob Dunn said.
“The wind was like a jet stream hitting the back of the house,” he said. “The house was gone when they (firefighters) got there.”
The district got a call at 6:18 p.m. for the first-alarm fire, and firefighters arrived at 6:29 p.m. to find the two-story home engulfed in flames, Dunn said.
“The fire was visible for miles,” he said. “It was something,”
A second alarm was struck, and Saline Valley firefighters began raising a ladder to fight the blaze from above. The crews also began spraying water on the house next door, Dunn said.
“The radiant heat was melting the siding,” he said.
The man and the woman who lived at the house were at home at the time but realized the house was on fire and got out quickly, Dunn said.
“They said they had eaten dinner and laid down,” he said. “They woke to the sound of the smoke alarm and smoke filling the house.”
By the time the firefighters arrived, there was no hope to save it, Dunn said.
“The house collapsed three minutes after (firefighters) arrived,” he said. “The people were fortunate to get out when they did.”
Firefighters had the blaze under control in about an hour, Dunn said.
He said the cause of the fire unknown because of the severe damage to the building, although a charcoal barbecue pit used at lunch may have been the culprit.
“We believe the wind blew the embers around or knocked it over,” he said.
The American Red Cross was called to help the couple with emergency shelter, food and clothing. The couple, however, said they had friends to stay with until they could make arrangements with the insurance company for other lodging, Dunn said.
“Luckily, no one was hurt,” he said. “It’s always a tragedy when someone loses their home. I guess anytime you call 911 it’s a bad day, but these people probably lost 99 percent of their belongings. It’s a sad situation.”
Ten trucks from several different agencies responded to the scene. The Fenton, High Ridge, Rock Community and Antonia fire protection districts assisted with the call, Dunn said.