August 17, 2010
By: Bruce Berry
An elderly man in Commerce, Georgia, lost his home late last week after a fire was started by the candles he used for illumination. His electric power had been cut off after he was unable to pay the bill, but was going to get his service restored when he next received his Social Security check, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.
The house - which was 1,500 square feet in size - was completely destroyed by the blaze, despite the presence of units from several nearby fire departments on the scene for three hours, according to news website Access North Georgia.
The Banner-Herald reported that the man escaped unharmed, as he had been sleeping on his porch to stay cool. He was given temporary lodging and supplies by representatives of the American Red Cross, the newspaper said, but it was not specified whether the man had home insurance.
Emergency personnel could not respond to the fire until 5 a.m., but the fire had already progressed too far for the volunteer firefighters who arrived first to contain in any way. Pictures posted to Access North Georgia show only a chimney still standing.
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