Family escapes injury but fire destroys home

A family of three was able to get out of their Smith County home before it was destroyed by a fire on Wednesday.

The house at the dead end of the 6900 block of Raine Road in northeastern Smith County was reduced to rubble and was still smoldering at 9 a.m. as fire fighters continued to spray down the area.

Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson said crews from Chapel Hill, Winona, Arp, Jackson Heights and Red Springs answered the fire call about 2:50 a.m. and got the blaze under control to the point the family was able to return to the home.

The fire marshal’s office was on the way to the home at about 8 a.m to conduct an investigation when the fire rekindled.

Crews were called back out to the house, but were unable to save it.

“The house is a total loss,” McCoy-Wasson said. “They do have insurance and the Red Cross has been notified to assist the family.”

She said the cause of the fire is not yet known, but a man heated some grease on the stove at the time the fire started rekindling.

McCoy-Wasson said the incident in under investigation and her office will release more information when it becomes available.

LOUANNA CAMPBELL/STAFF

A HOUSE in the 6900 block of Raine Road was destroyed by a fire Wednesday and deemed a total loss. Fire crews from Arp, Chapel Hill, Jackson Heights, Red Springs and Winona responded to the calls early Wednesday morning.