A late morning house fire March 14 at 210 Hilo Road south of Fayetteville resulted in a total loss of the home. A relative inside the home was escorted to safety by a Comcast representative who had arrived for a service call.
The Comcast service representative had arrived at the home of Bob Arnold’s son, Kevin, at approximately 11 a.m. Bob Arnold, who lives next door, had opened the house for the service call, said Fayette Fire and Emergency Services spokesman Donnie Davis.
Davis said Arnold was in the house when the Comcast staffer arrived. Alerted to a potential fire upon his arrival, he escorted the elder Arnold from the home and was able to save one of the two dogs inside the house.
Davis said a smoke detector had sounded and there was a presence of a light haze. The Comcast representative checked the basement, finding that a fire was in progress, said Davis. The fire was caused by a box fan in the basement, Davis added.
The Comcast staffer escorted Arnold out of the house and went back inside to retrieve one of the family’s dogs, Davis said. He went back inside a second time to find the other family dog but was unable to locate the pet due to the fire. The second dog was lost to the flames, said Davis.
Multiple units from Fayette County Fire and Emergency Services and the Fayetteville Fire Dept. arrived to work the blaze, though the speed and intensity with which it spread led to the home being considered a total loss, said Davis.
Davis said Arnold was unharmed in the incident. The Comcast representative, however, was transported to Piedmont Fayette Hospital where he was treated for smoke inhalation and released.
Davis stressed residents to make sure homes have working fire detectors installed.
