| Grandson’s quick action a life saver | | Posted: Tuesday, December 6, 2011 12:01 am
| By KEVIN BOWDEN
Staff Reporter
Vernell Sellers is a very lucky woman today, thanks to her grandson, Chris Smith.
Ms. Sellers was cooking breakfast early today at her home on Cloverdale Road when a pan of grease caught fire on her stove and she attempted to move the pan to the sink, according to Obion Fire Chief Jamie Evans.
He told The Messenger grease spilled from the pan during the move and caught Ms. Sellers’ kitchen on fire. Ms. Evans ran to a neighbor’s house, called 911 and then returned to her kitchen.
Evans said he isn’t sure why she returned to the kitchen, but he is sure that good timing and the quick thinking of her grandson saved her life.
Smith happened to be driving by his grandmother’s house at 2699 Cloverdale Road, west of Obion, when the fire broke out and he ran in and pulled her out of her kitchen. According to Evans, he actually pulled her from her burning kitchen three times.
“Finally he got the fire out and drug her to safety,” Evans said.
He said Ms. Sellers suffered some mild smoke inhalation and one wall in the kitchen sustained damage from the fire.
Evans said it could have been much, much worse.
“This young man not only saved her life, but he saved her house,” Evans said.
He described the house as an older, wood frame house that would have been a “roaring structure fire” in the 12 minutes it took the Obion Volunteer Fire Department to arrive on the scene.
Evans said 911 dispatched the fire call about 7:30 a.m. and his firefighters arrived on the scene about 7:45 a.m.
When they arrived on the scene, Smith already had the fire extinguished, according to Evans. Published in The Messenger 12.5.11 | | | | |
