The Shooting Creek community has experienced the second of two structure fires in just over a week. While the first home was saved by firefighters, the second one on Hot House Road was fully engulfed upon arrival, leaving behind framework and charred debris.
According to Shooting Creek Fire Chief Pete Trocchia, the fire occurred at a home owned by Kathy and Stanley McConnell, at around 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 17. “It was reported by a neighbor who heard an explosion, looked out the window and saw a nearby house on fire,” Trocchia said.
Because of the possibility of victims still being inside the blazing home, all fire departments in Clay County were called in for assistance along with Towns County. When first responders arrived on scene within 8 minutes of the initial report, they found the structure fully involved and learned no one was in the house and the house was not safe to enter, Trocchia said.
“Firefighters went into a defensive mode to protect other structures in the area as well as keeping the fire confined and from spreading to nearby woods,” he said. Trocchia said after speaking with the homeowner, it appears the fire was caused by a space heater. “We want to remind your readers to take caution when using portable space heaters and keep the fire place chimney cleaned,” he said.
The house fire on Saturday, Jan. 8, destroyed the kitchen area and left behind heavy smoke damage, but left the structure in tact. That fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical problem in the kitchen, according to an earlier report.