Reporter: Ellie Mahan
July 13, 2023
Multiple local agencies and individuals coordinated to assist with a fully involved structure fire in the Lakeview Volunteer Fire Department district at 3:15 p.m. Thursday, June 29. The house was located in the 500 block of HCR 1231 in Whitney.
According to reports, when Whitney Fire Chief David Gilmore arrived on the scene, he observed several fire agencies involved in the fire of a home that had already burned and collapsed. Several brush trucks were also involved in a fire attack on a pasture fire, which was caused by winds carrying sparks away from the primary house fire. West Shore and Steele Creek fire departments responded to assist with the brush fire.
Reports indicated that local resident Gary Bee used a track-hoe to help push unstable walls and debris back to the center of the structure. The brush fire was contained.
Fire departments involved with this incident include Covington, Lakeview, Aquila, Peoria, Woodbury, Whitney, Steele Creek and West Shore.
Following the structure fire, Danny Smith of Hilco Water reportedly suffered multiple bee stings as he worked to stop the free flowing water at the structure fire location.
Gilmore said, “After the fire burned all the plastic water pipes up, the water was just free flowing into this building, and this poor gentleman [the homeowner] was going to have a really expensive water bill. I didn’t know where his meter was, so I called utilities to get his water turned off. They went out there and found his meter, and when they opened it up it was completely packed with honeybees.”
Chief Gilmore thanked the White Bluff rehabilitation team for providing pizza and drinks and expressed gratitude to Gary Bee, Danny Smith and the CareFlite crew for helping with heat related injuries to fire personnel on scene.
The cause of the fire was still undetermined as of press time.
The Lakelander 