Published: June 23, 2009 09:19 am      

'Just let her go'

Firefighters unable to save Rockholds home

By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

Three volunteer fire departments responded to a house fire on Colonel Hollow Road in Woodbine midday Monday, but they were unable to stop the flames from destroying the house.

“Best we can tell, probably the back left corner is where it looks like (it started) but it was fully engulfed with smoke and everything when we got here,” said Charles Walker with Rockholds Volunteer Fire Department. “We sent two people in, they had some (oxygen) tanks in there, and we were afraid it was going to blow up, maybe hurt somebody, so we pulled the people out.”

Since the brick home was already fully engulfed, firefighters were only able to prevent the fire from spreading to a nearby house.

Walker said firefighters worked to “protect the outside and just let her go.”

“The oxygen tank went off, and we backed back out,” said firefighter Kevin Moses. “We made entry about five feet inside the door and the oxygen tank started to sizzle, and we backed out.”

Home owner Jeno Compton said his wife and children were home when the fire started, but everyone was able to get out safely, including the family dog.

“That’s all that matters. Material things don’t matter that much,” Compton said.

The family did have insurance, which “will put a roof back over our heads, hopefully,” he said.

Rockholds called Woodbine and Oak Grove volunteer fire departments to help with the blaze.

The cause of the fire was unknown as of press time.