Worst fears averted in Rockholds trailer fire

Initially, Rockhold and Woodbine firefighters feared the worst when they responded to a trailer fire about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday with reports that someone may have been trapped inside.

Even though the blaze seriously damaged the interior of the Tye’s Ferry Road home, no one was there when it started and there were no injuries, said Rockhold Volunteer Fire Department Chief Charles Walker.

Mark Lawson said that his older brother, Sherman Lawson, lived at the Tye’s Ferry Road trailer along with his wife, Rhonda, and their two kids, Curt and Cassie.

Mark Lawson said that Sherman probably wasn’t home because he had to go out of town for a doctor’s appointment. Rhonda was at work and the kids were at school, he said.

Mark Lawson said that when his wife called him about the fire he was worried that his brother might have been inside.

"It kind of scared me. It sure did," he said.

Mark Lawson said that he was relieved when he found out that his brother wasn’t home.

"We can replace the trailer, but we can’t replace a life," he noted.

Walker said there was initially some confusion because whoever reported the fire said it was on Meadow Creek, which is what the area used to be called.

A Woodbine volunteer firefighter was the first one in the area and cut down Tye’s Ferry Road as a shortcut to get to Meadow Creek when he spotted smoke coming out of roof, Walker said.

"Woodbine did an excellent job," he said. "One of the neighbors said someone was inside, but fortunately they weren’t."

No one was injured fighting the blaze.

Walker said that the trailer would probably be a total loss due to heat and smoke damage.

Walker hasn’t determined a cause of the fire, but said the point of origin appears to be around electrical wires and the hot water tank area.

He said that the fire was probably burning for less than one hour before firefighters arrived.

About 12 firefighters from both departments responded along with Whitley County EMS.