Fire destroys Harrison Street home; family escapes

Published 7:14 pm Friday, January 22, 2021

A Vicksburg family is safe but shaken after they were able to escape a devasting house fire Friday evening.

At around 6:45 p.m. Friday, 911 received calls of a fully-involved house fire at a home at the intersection of Harrison and Martha streets.

According to Vicksburg Fire Department Deputy Chief Tim Love, who was the officer in charge of the department’s response, all members of the family were able to make it out of the home that was destroyed by the fire.

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“At the time we responded, there were flames showing and we immediately began working to control the fire and protect the neighboring structure,” Love said. He said that soon after firefighters arrived, flames began shooting through the front door.

“Our guys made a really good attack and went through the front door,” Love said, adding that once inside firefighters found two-thirds of the home on fire, including the attic.

He said firefighters were able to then make their way up the stairs and attack the fire in the attic. Love said it took fighters about 45 minutes to completely knock down the fire. As of 8 p.m. Friday, teams were still on hand searching for hot spots in the home.

Fire Chief Craig Danczyk, who was also on hand, said that units were able to keep the fire from spreading to the neighboring home and that the home next door did not appear to suffer any damage to the exterior.

Among the units responding were Platform 1, Ladder 3, Engine 6 and 7, Battalion 1 and Rescue 1 and 2.

Danczyk said there were no reports of injuries either among the family members or responding firefighters.

While the investigation into the cause of the fire continues, Danczyk said Monday that it appears the fire started in a room in the back of the home where a gas heater appears to have malfunctioned.