Pine Island home

destroyed in blaze

Wednesday afternoon

http://www.cljnews.com

by Teresa Eubanks, CLJNews.com

BLOUNTSTOWN, FL – A Wednesday afternoon fire destroyed a large home at the end of Dan Parrish Road in the Pine Island Community.

Three occupants of the home were outside around 3:30 p.m. when they noticed smoke coming from the couch in the living room and then saw flames, according to Nettle Ridge Fire Chief Troy Bishop.

“They couldn’t get in to the fire because the couch was at the front door,” Bishop said. “The fire vented through the roof and totaled the house. It was fully involved when we got there.”

No one was injured. A family member told firefighters that some of the outlets in the home were not working and they were using extension cords in several rooms, including the living room. The state fire marshal’s office has been called in to determine the cause.

A firefighter who lived nearby rushed to get Nettle Ridge’s new pumper tanker truck to the scene in just minutes but arrived to find the home fully involved.

Nettle Ridge was assisted at the scene by the Blountstown Fire Department and Magnolia Fire Department.

The three departments worked together to keep pumping water on the home. A “dump tank” was set up at the site to put water in for the Blountstown Fire Dept. truck to draw from as it was used to hose down the north end of the structure.

The Magnolia Fire Department truck made trips to a fire hydrant less than a quarter of a mile away and used that to spray down the rest of the home.

Firefighters remained at the site until about 6:30 p.m.

The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office and Calhoun County EMS assisted at the scene.

The home’s occupants are staying with relatives and will be receiving assistance with clothing and supplies from the Red Cross.