Fayette family was dealt its second blow in three

days after a devastating house fire Monday night.

While

Sandy Creek High School wrestler Kerry Ruffin lay

in a hospital bed recovering from surgery for a

paralyzing neck injury suffered during a match,

his mother's north Fayette home sustained 80

percent damage from the blaze.

According

to the Fayette County Department of Fire and

Emergency Services, authorities responded to 849

Wagon Wheel Circle after a neighbor reported a

residential structure fire at 10:35 p.m.

The

first engine to arrive reported heavy fire coming

through the roof and called for a second alarm

that included mutual aid from the Fayetteville

Fire Department, information officer Capt. Pete

Nelms said in a written statement.

There

was no one at home when the fire took place and

no one was injured.

Twenty-three

firefighters worked for nearly an hour to bring

the blaze under control. More than 80 percent of

the structure was damaged, with an estimated loss

of $150,000.

Investigators

are now working to determine the cause of the

fire.

According

to Nelms, the home belongs to Linda Ruffin,

mother of Sandy Creek High School wrestler Kerry

Ruffin, who suffered a severe neck injury in a

tournament Saturday and underwent surgery Monday.

Following

the surgery, doctors were uncertain whether the

youth will be able to walk again.

urier New

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