RESPONDING TO THE HORNET’S NEST OF MEDIA ATTENTION, the elderly woman who lived in the South Fulton, Tennessee, home that burned while the firefighters stood by and watched, says that she doesn’t blame the firefighters because they were only following orders. The family home was refused service, you will recall (Firegeezer report HERE) because they had not paid the $75 subscription fee that would have allowed a neighboring fire department to respond to calls at their house.
WPSD-TV
She further said that her family had always paid the fee in the past, but this year they had only forgotten it. WKYC-TV reports today:
Pauline Cranick, 67, said she’s just thankful no one was hurt in the fire last week that destroyed the doublewide trailer in rural northwest Tennessee. “You can’t blame them if they have to do what the boss says to do,” Cranick told The Associated Press. “I’ve had firemen call and apologize.”
Her grandson, Lance Cranick, 21, who lived there with her and her husband, started the fire while burning trash in a barrel. He went inside to take a shower and upon returning, saw a shed next to the house in flames. It spread despite his efforts to put it out with a garden hose.
Paulette Cranick and her husband are now living in their year-old camper and Lance is living with his mother. The family says it’s received offers of help but that the aid isn’t needed. “We have insurance and are happy everyone is alive,” she said.
In an interview with WPSD-TV Gene Crannick said:
His time on the tractor is a welcome distraction. He said going home is another story. “I think of things I need to go get and they aren’t there,” he said, breaking down.
Cranick and his wife lost pets and treasured belongings. “I had things I inherited that can’t be replaced.”
You can view the very touching interview on this in-depth background video report from WPSD-TV:
Despite all the world-wide attention, the Obion County supervisors still don’t understand why people are upset over the lack of fire protection in the areas outside the nine towns that populate the county. Instead they are digging in their heels and defending the policy. But they are starting to wither under pressure building up from the county residents themselves as you can see in this related video report from WPSD-TV:
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