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House fire halts Christmas feast

By LEE WILLIAMS
lwilliams@TheCitizenNews.com

Fire raced through a south Fayette County home Sunday, forcing a family of 17 from the two-story structure and disrupting a 15-year Christmas family tradition.

Bart Wynn Jr., his wife Cheri, and their 11-year-old twins, Heath and Heather, were getting ready to enjoy a Christmas feast when the College Park native noticed something that appeared to be a bit odd.

“We were carving the turkey and I saw smoke coming out from in front of the door,” Wynn said Monday while glancing at the charred home located in the Bailey Oaks subdivision, 120 Jordan Place. “I came out the front and saw smoke coming from the rear. Then I checked it out and found flames coming out of the top of the house.”

Wynn ran back inside and told everybody to get out. The dinner guests, which included relatives from Carrollton to as far as Charleston, S.C., spilled out onto the road and watched in awe as the fire raced through the roughly 2,500-square-foot home.

“We basically stood outside and watched our house burn,” said Wynn, a Delta Air Lines employee. “We didn’t even get to eat our food.”

A neighbor called for help at 11:55 a.m. Eight minutes later, six units and 19 firefighters/emergency medical technicians from the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services and two units and five firefighters from the Fayetteville Fire Department arrived to battle the two-alarm blaze in this middle-class neighborhood.

Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesman Capt. Pete Nelms said Engine 7, Engine 10, Squad 4, Engine 5, Rescue 4 and Medic 4 from the county department responded to the call. Engine 91 and 92 from the city fire department also responded under the departments’ joint Automatic Mutual Aid Pact.

“Engine 7 was the first to arrive and they found heavy smoke and flames showing from the home,” Nelms said.

The fire, which caused about $250,000 to $300,000 in damage, devoured the left portion of the home, portions of the roof and much of the contents.

Although the loss was substantial, Nelms said the home was not ruled a total loss.

“Firefighters were able to salvage some of the lower contents of the home in the basement area,” Nelms said.

Wynn said every year it rotates which family will host the family Christmas feast and this year it was his turn. “It will definitely be a Christmas to remember,” Wynn said.

The fire, which has been ruled accidental, started in a closet and appears to have been triggered through an electrical problem, Nelms said.

Despite his loss, Wynn said he is humbled by the firefighters who battled the fire and the sheer number of people who rushed to his aid on that frosty Sunday. Some neighbors brought hot chocolate to keep his relatives warm and firefighters also helped them keep warm.

Once the fire was extinguished, about 60 people helped the family remove the salvageable goods and let them store it in their basements for safekeeping.

Other residents like neighbor Lora Ryan of 170 Sterling Way, Fayetteville, kicked off a Christmas Drive to help the twins who lost all of their Christmas presents in the fire.

Another neighbor, Cindy Baker also of Sterling Way is collecting money and gift cards. She also set up an account on the family’s behalf at the Delta Employee Credit Union in Peachtree City.

Ryan said the Wynns are great neighbors and she just wanted to do something to help make the children’s Christmas just a little bit brighter.

“(The Wynns) are an exemplary family who are very active in their community and church,” Ryan said. “They are such good friends to so many of us.”

Wynn said this year he truly understands what the true meaning of Christmas is all about. He said he will always be grateful to those who poured out their hearts to his family, who has lived in the house for seven years.

The Wynns are staying with family in Carrollton, but hope to move into an apartment in Fayetteville soon until the house is rebuilt.

“We never saw God’s love bigger than we’ve seen it right here,” Wynn said. “We believe in the Almighty and He’s going to get us through this.”

Anyone who wants to help the Wynn family can:

• Drop off money or toys for an 11-year-old boy and girl at the home of Lora Ryan, 170 Sterling Way, in the Bailey Oaks subdivision off of Inman Road.

• Drop off money and gift cards at the home of Cindy Baker of Sterling Way, Fayetteville from 5 to 8 p.m. today.

• Make a donation at the Delta Employees Credit Union in Peachtree City.

For more information, contact Lora Ryan at 770-719-0635.