Fire damages Plantersville home
Published 3:46 pm Friday, January 6, 2012
Plantersville and South Chilton volunteer fire departments responded to a structure fire off County Road 26 in Plantersville at 10:43 p.m. on Jan. 5.
David Sr. and Andrea Ratliff of Plantersville were not injured in the blaze that damaged their home.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to Assistant Chief Mark Walker of the Selma Fire Department.
Sarah Andrews Ratliff, the couple’s daughter-in-law, said they had renovated parts of the house and think the fire may have started through the circuit breaker box.
“The house is not completely burned, and they were able to salvage some things,” Ratliff said. “But they are not able to live in the house. It ruined the attic and the roof, and there is smoke and water damage throughout the house.”
Ratliff said the fire did not spread to the house next door, which shares the same street address and is occupied by two of the couple’s relatives.
“This really couldn’t have happened at a worse time,” Ratliff said. “My father-in-law had heart surgery after Thanksgiving and lost his job shortly before Christmas. This is just almost the last straw.”
The family is accepting any donations or items people can give, including but not limited to toiletries, kitchen items (pots, pans, plates, utensils and cups), laundry detergent, and perishable and non-perishable foods.
Items or money donations can be mailed to or dropped off at 441 County Road 26, Plantersville.
“They’ve found a house to rent,” Ratliff said. “They’ve just got to get through this and get their life back to normal.”