High Winds Fuel Monday House Fire

The Columbia-Adair County Fire Department battled a house fire yesterday morning but was unable to save the home due to high winds.
The house, located at 602 Grissom Street, was owned by Mary Beth Hatcher and was being remodeled by her husband Joey.
According to Joey Hatcher, "I lit a kerosene heater to help dry an area of drywall that I just had repaired and went outside to finish painting some crown molding when I saw smoke."
Hatcher stated that he went back inside and called 911 to report the fire at approximately 10:14 a.m..
Firefighters arrived on the scene within minutes and found the top floor of the home engulfed in flames with massive amounts of smoke pouring out of the top floor windows.
According to CAVFD Chief Mike Glasgow the fire fighters began battling the blaze but due to the high winds could not get the fire under control.
"When we would get one part of the fire under control it would ignite on an opposite side of the house and then took over the entire top floor," said Glasgow.
Glasgow also stated that due to the fire on the top floor firefighters were unable to get into the house because of the danger of the roof collapsing.
After two hours of a losing battling with the blaze the firefighters were called off.
Around thirteen firefighters were on the scene for close to five hours to fight the fire but to no avail, as the house became a total loss. Photo:Columbia-Adair County Volunteer Firefighter Chad Wheet sits on the roof and battles the fire on the second floor of the house owned by Mary Beth Hatcher that caught fire yesterday morning.  (Photo by Lawrence Harris)