Grease fire erupts into afternoon inferno

Tuesday, July 1, 2003

Firefighters from Milo responded to a house fire south of Nevada just west of BB highway Monday afternoon, at about 4 o'clock, after a house owned by Irene Purkey caught fire when a pan of oil Purkey put on to cook french fries exploded into flames. "I just got a new stove and I put a pan of oil on to make french fries and it wasn't long before it just exploded. There was fire everywhere. I got the kids out and started to go back in to call the fire department but the fire was too hot." To make a bad situation worse, Purkey had nearly completed paying for the house. The blaze leaves her without a home, furniture, clothing or any of the amenities. "It's bad. I had almost paid for the house, I've lived there 11 years and now this," Purkey said. Friends and family gathered around Purkey as the house blazed. The heat kept everyone but firefighters away, most gathering in the yard across the street to watch as the fire crackled away, the sounds of wood burning at times sounding like a Fourth of July fireworks display with continuous popping and snapping. The house is a complete loss, although a shed some distance away was spared.

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