Red Cross assists fire victims


Thursday, December 27, 2007
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Red Cross assists fire victims

By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer

Photo by Sue Watson

Helping hands

Pictured,from left, are (front row) David Stone, office manager with Red Cross, Crystal Lesure, Carlos Stinson, Kaiven Lesure (baby), Pearlene Massey, Shari’ Marrion Isom, (back row) Rodney Crane, Tanya Turner, Amanda Talley, Linda Driver, fireman Royce Pegues, Demetrice Isom, Gabrille Faulkner, and Red Cross representative James T. Howell.

The Holly Springs Fire Department hosted a meeting between families and Red Cross officials who came from Oxford to take applications for assistance last week.

Four families applied for assistance after losing all their belongings to water and smoke damage in a December 16 apartment fire at 253 Varner Street in Holly Springs, according to fire chief Kenny Holbrook.

The fire was caused by children playing with matches in a downstairs bedroom, said assistant fire chief Rodney Crane.

To contact the Oxford office of the Red Cross to request assistance or to make a donation, contact Joe Winfield with the Cayce Fire Department or the Red Cross office at 662-236-1282.

The Holly Springs Fire Department also responded to a fire call at Griffin Hall on the Rust College Campus recently. One apartment was heavily damaged and several other apartments in the complex were smoke and water damaged, Holbrook said.

He cautions that anyone who has the old-style electric wall heaters that lack an on/off switch and operate on a thermostat, to not leave any furniture or other materials in front of the heater. He advised if the old-style heaters have not been used in a long time and will not be used, the resident should call a qualified electrician to come and disconnect the heater at the fuse box.

“If you are not going to use them, have the power disconnected at the switch box,” he said. “We’ve had some fires over time because of these heaters.”

Electric heaters that lack an on/off switch will come on when it gets cold enough, even if the thermostat is set on the lowest setting, Holbrook said. Sometimes people forget about the heaters because they no longer use them and place furniture in front of them. A hard cold snap will cause the heaters to come on and can catch a couch or anything placed close to them on fire.

The fire department reported the following run calls for the month of December and ending Dec. 21: medical assists (46); car accidents (6); car fires (3); structure fires (5); rescues (2); fire alarm (1); gas tap leak (1); grass fire (1); and smell of smoke (1).

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