Fire Destroys Sweeny, Texas, Home
Just before 2 a.m., Kim woke, sensing something was wrong. She got out of bed and headed out into the main part of the house. That is when she saw the flames on the ceiling above the wood stove. She grabbed a bucket of water and doused the flames. The flames disappeared, but she heard popping and crackling in the ceiling. She ran and woke the kids, and pushed them outside. She went back in and grabbed her three dogs and hamsters and brought them out to the kids.
Kim then ran back into the house to grab whatever she could, but the smoke overwhelmed her and she had to get out now. She called 911 then called her mom, who lived a few houses down. Kim’s step-father, John Wood, dressed and drove down to the house. He saw the house ablaze and ran to drive out the truck that was still parked in the garage.
It took less than fifteen minutes for the house to fully engulf in flames. It took less than twenty minutes for the roof to cave in. The home is a total loss.
Kim and her family were lucky to get out of this unharmed. They lost everything, but they made it out with their lives. This accident could have been tragic had Kim not acted quickly.
While this was not caused by a chimney fire, it is important during this time of year to take a close look at your chimney if you plan on using a wood or coal to heat your home. Chimney fires are the main cause of house fires during the cold months. So before you light that fire, have a professional check out your chimney.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Stark family.
If you would like to make a donation to help the Stark family, you may do so by dropping off your donations to City Hall in Sweeny.
