OFD: 3 fires result in 3 total losses
Published 12:01 am Friday, April 18, 2014
Opp Fire Chief Cory Spurlin is encouraging residents to reevaluate their fire-safety plans after three house fires resulted in total losses this week.
According to Spurlin, homes on Lunsford Circle and Lee Street were completely destroyed, while a blaze on North Jackson Street destroyed a garage.
“Unfortunately, all three were total losses,” Spurlin said. “They were all fully involved when we arrived on the scenes.”
Spurlin said the week’s first call came Sunday at 6:51 p.m. from a home located at 100 Lunsford St., lot 13. He said the fire is believed to have originated from the kitchen, and all occupants had exited the home before OFD arrived at the scene.
Wednesday, at 3:20 a.m., Spurlin said OFD responded to a second residential fire at 201 Lee St.
“It too was fully involved,” Sprulin said. “The roof had already begun to collapse when we arrived on the scene.”
Spurlin said no one was home at the time of the fire, which is believed to have been caused by food left cooking unattended.
Spurlin said the week’s third fire broke out Thursday morning at 1:01 and was confined to a “large, two-car, detached garage.”
“That one was at 413 N. Jackson St.,” he said. “It was contained to the building of origin. The original house was protected.”
Spurlin said one occupant was home Thursday night, but is not believed to have been inside the garage.
That fire, he said, remains under investigation.
Spurlin said this week’s fires make 17 in Opp in 2014, far above the average for this time of year.
“We just want to encourage people to be safe cooking and to just practice fire safety,” Spurlin said. “If they need anything from us, we just want to encourage people to call our fire station.”
OFD can be reached at 334.493.7015.