Elderly man saved from house fire early Thursday morning

This home, on Fifth Street Road in Corbin, burned early Thursday morning. The lone resident, George Crabtree, was sleeping inside and was notified by a passerbye it was burning, allowing him to escape harm.

An elderly Corbin man narrowly escaped a house fire early Thursday morning. George Crabtree, 90, was in his home at 3200 5th St. when another man, Kenny Brimm, noticed flames rising from both sides of the house while driving by on his way to work. Brimm beat on Crabtree’s door until he got his attention and helped him out of the burning home. 

Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department responded to the call at 4:44 a.m. according to Chief Kevin Gibbs.

“We had the fire under control after first arrival of the engine in about 18 minutes. It took us probably two hours overall,” said Gibbs, adding that the blaze is soon to be under investigation by both the department and Crabtree’s insurance agency—a process that could take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks.

Neighbor Bridget White says that Crabtree is doing OK, considering, and that he is currently staying with his brother.

Crabtree, a retired Navy SEAL who fought in WWII onboard a US Navy destroyer, lost most of his possessions in the fire, including his awards and accolades from his time in the military, which, according to White, Crabtree said is “the most heartbreaking” part of the incident. 

There isn’t much information about Brimm at this time, other than he works at the Toyota plant in Georgetown, Ky.

Check back to www.thenewsjournal.net for more details as they become available.