The owner of a trailer which burned on Happy Valley Road in Tallassee Monday evening said he will not pay a hefty bill for the cost of Blount County firefighters battling the blaze.
Blount County Fire Chief Doug McClanahan said it started when one of the two residents or a family member called in the fire.
“In that situation, we’re already obligated to respond,” McClanahan said.
The fire began as resident Thomas F. Warrant attempted to use gasoline to start a fire in a wood stove.
The fire spread to the gas container and then quickly throughout the residence, located at 6026 Happy Valley Road.
Warren suffered burns to his hands and leg.
The other tenant, Wanda F. Phillips, was not injured.
The trailer’s owner, Roger L. White, who lives nearby on Happy Valley Road, said both tenants left for Blount Memorial Hospital prior to Blount County Sheriff’s Office deputies’ arrival at the scene.
Blount County firefighters were dispatched at 7:47 p.m. and began arriving at 7:52 p.m. with four trucks and 12 personnel.
White told deputies he did not want firefighters to put out the blaze. A deputy noticed the trailer fully engulfed in flames and firefighters not assisting. The deputy was advised by McClanahan that he had ordered firefighters to extinguish the fire because of possible danger to nearby homes and because of the department’s obligation to protect the community to the best of its ability.
“In this day in time, with the insurance and liability and stuff, normally people don’t complain about getting the fire put out,” McClanahan said. “If it’s left to burn, there’s liability everywhere because if it gets on somebody else’s property, somebody else gets hurt and the (first) homeowner is responsible.”
According to the Blount County Sheriff’s Office report, White was not happy with the decision to extinguish the blaze, stating several times that he would “not pay the bill.”
For nonsubscribers to the Blount County Fire Protection District, the cost is $2,200 for the first two hours on the scene, and an additional $1,100 for every subsequent hour.
McClanahan said his department had no choice, that there are many different kinds of danger to the public if the firefighters are impeded from carrying out their duties.
“I feel very strongly that my job is to protect the public to the best of my ability as a department,” McClanahan said. “And we had no idea whether there was a crime scene, something that was done to cover up a crime, we have no way of knowing. All we know is there’s a danger to the public. It’s an out-of-control fire and we’re going to put it out.”
Those who subscribe to the Blount County Fire Protection District, which costs $110 per year for a standard residence, are not charged for firefighter services in case of a fire emergency at the residence.
Firefighters were able to control the trailer fire on Happy Valley Road at 8:52 p.m. and ultimately extinguish the fire after several hours, but the home appeared to be a total loss. White estimated the trailer’s value at $12,000.
Firefighters cleared the scene at 11:45 p.m.
Workers with the American Red Cross were contacted and responded to the hospital to care for Warren’s and Phillips’ needs. Hospital staff had no patient information available on Warren.
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