A father and son lost their Sequoyah County home after it was destroyed by fire Wednesday morning (Nov. 20).
Assistant Fire Chief Shawn Fuller with the Maple Rural Fire Department said both men were home when the fire began but escaped safely along with the family dogs.
A call came in just after 3 a.m. about a structure fire on Highway 64B just north of Muldrow, according to firefighters on the scene. When they arrived, crews said flames were shooting out all sides of the house and an SUV in the driveway was also burning.
Fuller said an early investigation leads him to believe the fire began in the chimney, spread to the attic and the wind caused the fire to spread across the sheet iron metal roof. He said the fire was "well advanced" when emergency crews arrived on scene.
Fuller said he would not let his firefighters enter the home initially because of the potential for the roof to collapse. He said the home is "a total loss" as a result of the fire, smoke and water damage.
The home sits on a hill about a quarter-mile from the main road. The narrow driveway with a creek running across it made it more challenging for emergency crews to reach the home, according to Fuller.
Muldrow, Liberty and Maple fire departments were on scene along with deputies from the Sequoyah County Sheriff's Office.
"Teamwork is what made this happen tonight," said Fuller.
With colder weather headed to the area, Fuller encourages people to have their chimneys cleaned before starting a fire.