Fire destroys home of local deputy and his wife
A Stephens County Deputy and his wife lost almost all of their personal belongings in a fire Thursday, Oct. 3, that completely destroyed their home on County Road 313 near Tanglewood Island; a donation account has been set up for their benefit.
Firefighters move a ladder as they battle the fire at the home of Bill and Melynda Flournoy. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/ Breckenridge Texan)
About 13 firefighters with the Breckenridge Fire Department and Hubbard Creek Volunteer Fire Department battled desperately to try and save the home of Bill and Melynda Flournoy, which caught on fire a little after 11 a.m.
By the time the firefighters arrived, the bedroom on the north side of the house had already been consumed by the fire, which had moved into the kitchen, BFD Fire Chief Calvin Chaney said. They went inside in full gear and seemed to have the fire knocked back, but the firefighters didn’t realize that the fire was still active between the roof and a sub-roof.
As the flames flared up again, the firefighters tried to extinguish the fire but couldn’t contain it.
When it became obvious that the Flournoy house couldn’t be saved, the firefighters went into defensive mode and started working to save the neighboring homes. A backhoe was brought in to take down Flournoy’s house so that it could be extinguished. No damage to other structures was reported.
“We brought the equipment out here to flatten it down, because there wasn’t anything we could to save it, and when you flatten it down like that, it cools it off tremendously,” Chaney said.
The firefighters not only battled the smoke and heat from the fire, but they also had to deal with the hot October weather, as temperatures reached 90 by about 1 p.m. They remained on the scene until after 5 p.m.
Flournoy, who was at home when the blaze started, was taken to Stephens Memorial Hospital with a health issue during the fire.
Members of the Breckenridge Elks Lodge have set up a benefit account for the Flournoys to help them in the aftermath of the fire. Donations can be taken or sent to First National Bank, account number 200737909. The name on the account is “The Kimberly P. Reeves Donation Account for Bill and Melynda Flournoy.” The routing number to transfer directly from another account is 111909663. For those who want to donate via wire transfer, the routing number is 111306198.
The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office and Sacred Cross EMS were also on the scene, assisting the fire departments.
Hubbard Creek Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tom Claybrook sprays water on a neighboring home to prevent the fire from spreading. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Story by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan
Cutline, top photo: Bacel Cantrell, a volunteer firefighter with the Hubbard Creek Volunteer Fire Department, helps battle the fire at the home of Bill and Melynda Flournoy on Thursday, Oct. 3. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
