Miss. Fire Victim Holds FD Accountable

June 18, 2010
JACKSON, Miss. -- A Jackson woman wants to know who's accountable after her house went up in flames and neighbors said more could have been done to save the womans childhood home. Celest McGowan assessed the damage Thursday. She said the fire broke out at her Marks Avenue home on June 12. It's unbelievable. I don't even feel myself, McGowan said. The fire charred McGowan's entire home, and caused extensive damage.

JACKSON, Miss. --

A Jackson woman wants to know who's accountable after her house went up in flames and neighbors said more could have been done to save the womans childhood home.

Celest McGowan assessed the damage Thursday. She said the fire broke out at her Marks Avenue home on June 12.

It's unbelievable. I don't even feel myself, McGowan said.

The fire charred McGowan's entire home, and caused extensive damage.

McGowan said that there was not enough water to battle the blaze and she said her home could have been saved.

I think if there would have been more water -- I'm not ignorant to the fact there was a fire -- I think the structure could have been saved a little bit more than it just being a total loss, McGowan said.

"As many fire trucks as there were, I didn't see a lot of shooting water, I just saw one," witness Florida Davis said.

But the Jackson Fire Department said the water pressure was not an issue and there was enough water.

Right after the fire, we conducted a check of the water pressure to ensure that wasn't an issue and our findings show the water pressure was not an issue, Capt. R.D. Simpson said.

Neighbors said they were disturbed while watching the fire.

It was bad. I have never seen anything like this in all of the days of my life, Davis said.

McGowan said, to make matters worse, thieves stole items from her house after the fire to get copper. She and her neighbors brought their concerns to Ward 3 City Councilman Kenneth Stokes, who held a news conference about the issue on Thursday.

We need to do more to ensure and send the message that if you break into someone's property, who has experienced fires and can't be at their home, there's going to be enhanced penalties, Stokes said.

JFD is still investigating the cause of the fire.

McGowan said she hopes her insurance company will compensate her for her loss.

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