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Courtesy photo TFD Fire Chief Todd Cissell, Tracy Cissell and Chris Jackson fight the fire that consumed a house on French Avenue in Woodville on New Year’s Day. -
Courtesy photo Gerald and Judy Jenkins woke up to their house on fire on New Year’s Day. The home was a total loss.
New Year’s Day is reserved for ringing out the old, and ringing in the new. Typically, it is a celebration where people vow to start fresh. The majority of the time, the new start is proverbial, and only meant for eating healthy or saving money.
For two families in Marshall County, New Year’s Day meant starting completely over. Gerald and Judy Jenkins had a scary wake-up call early New Year’s morning. Texoma Volunteer Fire Chief Todd Cissell said the smell of smoke and quick actions of the husband kept a bleak situation from turning dire.
“His wife is wheelchair bound. He [Gerald] woke up to the smell of smoke, broke the window and pushed his wife out of the window,” Cissell.
Judy was flown to a Plano hospital, but has since been released.
Cissell said that due to the wind outside and the different ceilings in the home – the home had several add-ons, it was a difficult fire to extinguish.
Winter is a prime season for house fires, and one of the main causes is space heaters. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 40% of all winter fires are due to heaters.
Cissell agreed with that sentiment. Space heaters are the culprit in many house fires because homeowners do not know the risks involved. There are several things people can do to lower the risk of a housefire caused by a heater.
Make sure there is nothing within three feet of the heater, this means clothes, furniture, anything. The close proximity of flammable items to the space heater could spell trouble.
Do not plug the heater into an extension cord, plug it into an actual outlet. Cissell said the amount of electricity that space heaters put out cannot be supported by an extension cord. They must be plugged into an outlet. Of course, one has to be careful how many heaters are plugged into one breaker. Cissell noted that breakers are graded for a maximum number of amps, and plugging too many heaters to the one breaker can cause a fire.
Smoke alarms are always something residents should have in their home. The US Fire Administration recommends to check home smoke alarms once a month. This ensures it is in working order, and will alert the resident when smoke is detected. Five minutes can save a life.
A couple in Cumberland, Steve and Fran Gamble, also lost their home on New Year’s Day. Donations for the Gambles can be dropped off at the American Legion in Madill or the Cumberland Baptist Church.
For information regarding donations, contact the Hope for Marshall County Food Pantry.