UPDATED for print — Fire heavily damaged a north Fayette home Monday afternoon, forcing the home’s occupant to jump from a second floor window to avoid the mounting flames, fire officials said.
The fire at 118 Windmeadow Way in the Stillbrook Estates subdivision caused heavy damage on the interior, eating through the roof, much of the second floor and extending to the first floor.
Fire officials determined that a candle on the ground floor of the home somehow started the blaze.
Firefighters initially entered the house to battle the blaze, but they were forced to evacuate due to the danger posed by the fire. Firefighters then adopted a defensive attack position, using an aerial ladder truck to apply water to the roof and interior of the home.
The person who jumped to safety was transported to Southern Regional Hospital for treatment.
The fire was reported shortly after 3 p.m. About two dozen Fayette County firefighters participated in fighting back the flames.
The large number of firefighters was necessary due to the hot weather, which requires firefighters to be rotated out more often to avoid the effects of heat illness, officials said.
Firefighters also had to deal with a lower water pressure than normal, but an employee with the Fayette County Water System came to the scene to make sure the matter was addressed, said Public Safety Director Allen McCullough.
The meters and valves in the subdivision that serve the fire hydrant system were tested in January and worked fine then, McCullough said.
The lower water pressure did not slow the fire suppression, but because of the nature of the fire, firefighters knew they needed to put a lot of water on the flames to extinguish them, McCullough explained.
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EARLIER online story — Fire heavily damaged a north Fayette home this afternoon, forcing the home’s occupant to jump from a second floor window to avoid the mounting flames, fire officials said.
The fire at 118 Windmeadow Way in the Stillbrook Estates subdivision caused heavy damage on the interior, eating through the roof, much of the second floor and extending to the first floor.
Fire crews initially entered the house to battle the blaze, but they were forced to evacuate due to the danger posed by the fire. Firefighters then adopted a defensive attack position, using an aerial ladder truck to apply water to the roof and interior of the home.
The person who jumped to safety was transported to Southern Regional Hospital for treatment.
About two dozen Fayette County firefighters participated in fighting back the flames; the fire was reported shortly after 3 p.m. The large number of firefighters was necessary due to the hot weather, which requires firefighters to be rotated out more often to avoid the effects of heat illness, officials said.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but it will be investigated by the fire marshal’s office, officials said.
