As Lowndes County resident Candi Knight stood in her front yard Thursday morning and watched fire ravage her home of 13 years, she had some comfort in knowing both she and her husband, Steve, were safe.
Still, Knight suffered much more than material loss as the smoke and flames kissed the cold, crisp air.
Knight said she lost three pet dogs to the morning blaze at 1345 Hildreth Road east of Columbus, while firefighters rescued a fourth dog that was trapped in the home. That dog is expected to survive.
No one was home when the fire began Thursday morning. In fact, Knight said she saw smoke coming from her home as she returned from her shift at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle just after 9 a.m.
With the help of a friend, she tried to break through the backdoor and rescue the animals when she arrived. The smoke and heat prevented her from entering.
Lowndes County District 3 volunteer firefighters arrived shortly after and put out the fire, but not before it had left the house a total loss. Fire Chief Wayne Doyle said firefighters recovered two of the trapped dogs’ bodies from the home, as well as a dead cat.
Doyle suspects the fire started from an electric wall heater that automatically activated due to Thursday morning’s bitter cold temperatures.
“People don’t realize it, but when it gets cold enough, those things will turn themselves on even if its set in the ‘off’ position,” Doyle said. “That’s what I believe happened in this case.”
Candi Knight’s mother, Barbara Hood who lives nearby, stood with her daughter Thursday during the fire. She said was glad to still have her family intact.
“It’s wonderful that nobody was at home,” Hood said. “Of course, they love those animals like they would their kids. So that’s bad that they lost (three) dogs. I’m glad it looks like one will survive.”
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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