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Five departments battle house fire near DillsboroBy Carey PhillipsFive fire departments responded to a blaze that destroyed a three-story house on Deep Gap Road in Dillsboro on Saturday, Dec. 29.Sylva firemen were called to the Bob Daniel residence at 2:21 p.m. Fire departments from Cullowhee, Balsam, Savannah and Qualla provided mutual aid. The house was home to Adam Guffey, Daniel's stepson and a member of the Sylva Fire Department. "Flames were coming out every window in the place and part of the roof was gone," Sylva Fire Department Capt. Dale Nations said of the situation when firefighters arrived. "There wasn't much we could do." Nations said Daniel was in the basement when he heard an explosion and went upstairs to investigate. The upstairs door handle burned his hand, so he went back downstairs and outside to investigate, Nations said. Daniel saw flames coming from the windows and was able to call for help from the basement before escaping the house, according to Nations. A 500-gallon propane tank was located beside the house, and putting water on it was crucial, Nations said. He said a propane leak possibly caused the blaze. Getting water to the scene was a challenge and was the primary reason so many departments were called, Nations said. The hydrant system in Dillsboro was used with tankers relaying water to the fire. A narrow one-lane road also made access difficult for the fire trucks, he said. Firemen remained on the scene until just after 6 p.m. |
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