A house was desroyed by fire Monday afternoon in the Harrison Bay area.
At 3:50 p.m. a 9-1-1 call was made by a neighbor reporting a house fire at 6845 Deerwood Dr. in the Deerwood subdivision. Highway 58 Volunteer Fire Department responded and arrived on the scene reporting fully involved fire coming through the roof.
According to Deputy Chief Mark Hastings of the Highway 58 Volunteer Fire Department firefighters conducted an interior attack until the roof became unstable and evacuated the house. The roof eventually caved in and the firefighters started controlling the fire from spreading to surrounding structures.
Deputy Chief Hastings said the fire started in one of the bedrooms. He said there were nine tanks of oxygen in the bedroom where the fire started. There were three elderly people living at the residence. All three residents were using portable oxygen units, officials said.
The cause of the fire will be under investigation by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department.
One firefighter sustained minor cuts on his hand. He was treated on the scene by Hamilton County EMS.
The house was a total loss and damages estimated at $150,000.
The Highway 58 Volunteer Fire Department was assisted by Hamilton County EMS and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department.
Julia Gaines of Deerwood Drive said, "This has been my family's home for the past 20 years. The current occupants are my mother and father, my youngest brother, his wife, and their son, and my great-great-great aunt.
"Yesterday when the fire occurred, my brother rescued our bed-ridden great-great-great aunt who is the only member of our family on oxygen and returned into the house to make sure everyone else was out of the house, including the puppy.
"His wife, toddler, and our dad were able to escape through the back door.
"When the firemen finished and released our home, there were only three tanks of oxygen brought from the house and reported to the medical supply office for a pickup."