Image shows house fire near Bethsadia Monday afternoon. / Nick Griffin
CULLMAN – Separate house fires destroyed two homes in Cullman County on New Year's Day. The first was on County Road 1339 in Vinemont and the second near the 6000 block of U.S. Highway 278 near Bethsadia.
In Vinemont, the fire call came in at approximately 2:30 a.m., said Vinemont-Providence Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Randy Christiansen. It happened in the 2700 block of County Road 1339, next to Brian's Computers and Used Cars. Christiansen said the home was a complete loss, but there were no injuries.
"When we pulled up, there was fire showing out the front side, out of one room," he said. "It was at that time it was in a couple of other rooms through the house. By the time we got personnel there to get into the interior, it had gotten in the attic."
Christiansen said the structure is still standing, but that nothing inside is likely savable, as everything was damaged by smoke and water or burned.
"We cleared the scene shortly after 6 a.m., after ensuring the hot spots were all out," he said. "Gold Ridge and Cullman City assisted us, along with Cullman EMS. They had an ambulance on standby."
The Cullman Red Cross was called in to assist the family.
The second house fire happened Monday afternoon, shortly after 3 p.m. near the 6000 block of U.S. Highway 278 West.
Firefighters from the Bethsadia Volunteer Fire Department were aided by crews from Logan, West Point and Sardis at the scene. Bethsadia's Jeff Byars confirmed that there were no injuries.
A neighbor on the scene said that it was his son's house that burned, and told The Tribune the family believes the fire started from the fire in the chimney and went into the wall. He said the family said they "heard a loud popping in the wall and got out."
No official word has been given on the fire's cause at this time.
Said Byars, "Dealing with water in a below freezing environment is always challenging. We have to make sure our equipment doesn't freeze."
Both fires are under investigation.
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