FEBRUARY 25, 2015
WILMER, ALABAMA (WALA) -
A family of five is homeless tonight and the chief of the
Wilmer Volunteer Fire Department was hurt in a four alarm blaze that roared
through a home in Wilmer Wednesday morning.
It happened in the 6000 block of Wilmer Road and caused some
anxious moments for firefighters when part of a brick wall collapsed.
FIRE CHIEF HURT
Flames lit up the morning sky in Wilmer starting about 3:00
am.
In minutes, the fire spread through a house, roaring through
the attic.
Firefighters had been fighting the blaze for more than an
hour when, suddenly, a row of bricks collapses on Wilmer Volunteer Fire
Department Chief Mike Cooper as he tried to help fight the blaze.
There were anxious moments as firefighters rushed to Chief
Cooper's side.
Rusty Holloway, Deputy Chief of Tanner Williams Volunteer
Fire Department, said, "Some bricks off of that gable brick on the outside
had come down, and a couple got him on his leg, but, he's fine."
Cooper walked off with only minor injuries to his leg.
WATER HAD TO BROUGHT IN
Volunteer firefighters had a tough time trying to contain
the fire because water had to be brought in by pumper truck and then emptied
into 3500 gallon tubs.
Holloway said, "We had a dump tanker shuttle running
for half a mile. We've got four tankers that have been shuttling water at 2000
gallons a load. I imagine we pumped 30,000 gallons of water on this thing
already."
Still, the stubborn fire wouldn't go out, flaming up in
spots around the roof.
"WE WERE ALL SO SCARED"
When daylight came, the blaze was still burning, and Nancy
McDowell surveyed what was left of her home from her wheelchair.
She said, "We were all so scared, none of the kids had
shoes on, nor coats, or anything."
McDowell lived on the property with her husband and
children, but all got out safely.
She said, "Thank goodness, I heard the fire alarm, and
I woke my husband up, and the upstairs was already engulfed in flames. "
HEAVY SMOKE INSIDE
McDowell's son, Justin, lives in a home on the back of the
property, and learned about the fire from his father.
He said, "They came and banged on my door and grabbed
my fire extinguisher, and tried to make it upstairs, but the smoke was just too
thick, and we couldn't even walk down the hallway."
McDowell credits quick work by her husband in saving lives.
She said "He screamed at the kids, and I heard them all
hit the floor, so, I'm just so thankful everyone was okay."
WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE?
Firefighters from four volunteer departments helped fight
the blaze.
They believe it may have started in the attic, but the
investigation continues.
Source: www.fox10tv.com