A Columbus woman escaped from her burning home Tuesday afternoon with her 2-year-old granddaughter in her arms.
Valerie Hubbard’s home on 2507 Fourth Ave. N., however, is a total loss.
Firefighters and four fire trucks from Columbus Fire and Rescue responded to the scene, located across from Stokes Beard Elementary, at about 2 p.m. Firefighters battled smoke and flames for about an hour.
Hubbard, who lived in the home with two other adults and two children, said she had been asleep and woke up to check on her 2-year-old granddaughter. When she opened the home’s side door to the carport, she saw flames. She grabbed her granddaughter and ran from the house, adding she grabbed the family dog from the yard.
The other three residents were not home at the time.
Hubbard said she had no idea how the fire started.
“It wasn’t cooking. There was nothing on (the) stove,” she said.
Authorities did not release a preliminary cause of the fire by press time. CFR Public Information Officer Anthony Colom said investigators do not suspect arson.
Though Hubbard was distraught at the loss of the home, she said she was grateful she had woken up and was able to flee the house with her granddaughter.
“Thank God for life,” Hubbard said.
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