Bella Vista home catches Fire
Firefighters put out a fire at 3 Cheddar Drive last Saturday, April 28.
No human injuries were reported, but Battalion Chief Robert Hamilton said that one of the three cats did not survive the fire and a bird that was in the house was missing.
The fire is believed to have started, he said, when embers from a controlled burn blew under and against the deck at the rear of the house. While the burn pile was hosed off, he said, some material deep inside it remained hot.
The fire spread from the deck to the house, he said, and firefighters were able to put it out.
Anyone burning leaves, he said, should be careful to ensure the fire is completely out. It’s best to spread the leaves with a rake before hosing them down, he said.
In this case, a resident was sleeping when the fire started, he said.
“She woke up to see smoke out the back door,” Hamilton said.
The home’s residents, Ken and Janis Roper, stood outside watching the firefighters work.
“All of our clothes, our food, everything is in there,” Janis Roper said.
Roper said she was especially concerned about the car in the garage and, of course, her cats.
Moments after saying she never expected to see her furry friends again, Roper saw Jason Young carrying Bella from the house, followed by firefighter-paramedic William Coker with Missy.
“It’s a miracle,” Roper said.