Had a home on Lakeview Drive just outside South Fulton city limits been covered by a rural fire subscription, it could have been saved from destruction by fire July 2, according to Tommy Smith, South Fulton Fire Chief.
The home, owned by Donna Pruitt, and occupied by Richard Cruse and his family, was a total loss, according to Smith.
Calls began coming in to the South Fulton Fire Department about 6 p.m., said Smith. The Obion County Rescue Squad paged the department to the scene, but Smith informed the rescue squad the residence was not covered by rural fire protection, therefore the department could not respond to the structure fire.
Smith said another call came in about 6:15 p.m., informing of two adjacent residences also involved in fire. Those residences were covered by the subscription.
“That’s when we decided to go protect those residences,” said Smith. Mutual aid calls to the Fulton, Union City, Tenn. and Martin, Tenn. fire departments were made for extra water supply, and all responded.
The only thing the firefighters could do is “cool” the primary burning residence off. No other properties were damaged, said Smith.
Ben Davis, a neighbor who lives on Tom Counce Road, behind the burned structure, said he called the South Fulton Fire Department at least four times as the fire was burning the structure.
“If it weren’t for neighbors putting hoses on (the fire), it would have spread,” said Davis.
Davis said several people called the fire department about the fire. “There were two explosions in that house,” Davis added. “And ashes were blowing to my house.”
The rural fire subscription costs county residents living outside the South Fulton city limits $75 per year.
Smith said the policy regarding responding to non-subscribers was implemented in 1990.
“It’s a pretty standard policy,” said Jeff Vowell, South Fulton City Manager. “It’s $75 a year, and we’re pretty adamant about that.”
Smith said investigation is continuing on the cause of the fire, but it is believed to have been caused by a mishap while using a grill, possibly over- igniting. He said no one was inside the house at the time of the fire.
