Father, two children escape house fire

By Michael R. Moser / mmoser@crossville-chronicle.com

December 17, 2007 05:20 pm

— A father and his two children narrowly escaped tragedy by running barefoot into subfreezing temperatures early Sunday morning when fire swept through their rural Cumberland County home. The home and contents were a total loss but no one was hurt in the incident.
Cumberland County Fire Chief Jeff Dodson said the homeowner, Anthony Johnson, told him that a smoke detector awakened him around 4 a.m. He walked into a living room where a woodburning stove was located and saw fire coming from inside the wall in the area of the insert.
Johnson then ran to the room where his children were sleeping, awakened them and gave his young son a portable phone to call the fire department. He then went back inside and discharged a fire extinguisher but it proved ineffective.
Conditions were less than desirable with freezing temperatures, snow and sleet and high gusting winds. When firefighters arrived on the scene, the structure was already enveloped in flames. Firefighters were able to save a garage apartment that was just a few feet away from the burning structure.
The Cumberland County Chapter of the American Red Cross responded to the scene to offer assistance to the victims.