Fire officials deemed an Oktibbeha County home a total loss after a blaze tore through the structure Thursday morning.
Volunteers from Central and Adaton-Self Creek fire departments were dispatched to 7942 New Light Road about 9 a.m. after an occupant in the home witnessed a fire spark in its kitchen.
No injuries were reported, and the dwelling’s occupants were able to escape without injury.
The fire spread through a majority of the house, rendering it uninhabitable, said Oktibbeha County Fire Services Coordinator Kirk Rosenhan.
“Homes with metal roofs like that don’t allow fires to ventilate. It hits the underside of the metal and spreads laterally. That gets to be a problem,” he said. “We saved the laundry room and some areas in the back, but it’s a total loss.”
The fire itself wasn’t the only threat first responders dealt with. Warm temperatures plagued firefighters, and Rosenhan said others heard loose ammunition in the home popping during the blaze.
“We were real careful to ensure that nobody got too hot by rotating our crew often,” he said. “By the time you put on the heavy gear and exert yourself in the midst of a hot fire, it can get pretty sticky really quick.”
Rosenhan did not provide an official cause of the blaze, and the fire itself remains under investigation.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.