A cigarette is most likely to blame in the fire that almost took a man’s life on Wednesday, November 28, in the 200 block of Court St., according to local investigators.
The fire was reported around 2:50 p.m., and by the time firefighters arrived on the scene, city and county officers had already identified a man trapped inside. According to Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Pierce, Deputy Jerry Wood and city officers, Russ Wood and Melissa Smith were the first on the scene. Wood and Wood both rushed inside to find the occupant, Richard Hampton, barely breathing on the bedroom floor.
After an unsuccessful attempt of removing Hampton, they solicited help from Pierce. Once the air packs arrived, it was the heroics of Firefighters, Barry Holland, Brad Mills, and Jeremy Robinson who were able to get the man to safety.
Other responding firefighters battled the blaze including, Fire Chief Jerry Pierce, Max King, Richard Kee, Travis Pierce, Jim Hassell, Doyle Williams, Jamie Townsend, David Hunt, Jacob Hassell and David Mathew.
Pierce said this was a group effort and without the quick actions of the everyone involved, the man would have not survived.