Dateline: December 1, 2005

Clarendon family counts blessings after fire

By Ashlee Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

A fire on Friday, November 25, has one Clarendon family counting their blessings this week.

The Clarendon Volunteer Firefighters responded to a house fire in the 600 block of W. Sixth, the home of Will and Lynn Thompson, Friday, November 25.

The 911 call came in at 3:35 p.m.; and according to Assistant Fire Chief Pat Robertson, the blaze started after a fire got outside the firebox.

“It went up the wall and into the attic,” Robertson said. “There was a breach of the firebox.”

Lynn Thompson said her son Todd discovered fire coming out of the wall.

Once the firefighters arrived they opened a hole in the roof to let the smoke out, Robertson said, and the fire was put out within 30-45 minutes.

“I would really like to commend our volunteer fire department,” Lynn said. “The inspector and adjuster said the hole they cut saved us from a lot of smoke damage.”

Robertson said the portion of the house where the fire started is separated from the remainder of the house by the garage and this also helped to eliminate smoke damage.

Thomspon said they have no dollar amount for the damage yet but will be completely replacing the fireplace and chimney along with ome sheetrock and flooring.

Thompson said an inspector listed the cause of the fire as a failure of the fireplace.

“No one was hurt and we didn’t lose anything that can’t be replaced,” Lynn said. “Clean up has already started.

“We have not been displaced, and we’re very blessed.”