Brush fire spirals out of control, displacing family

HALEYVILLE — The dangers of burning during dry conditions were experienced in a traumatic way Tuesday afternoon, March 11, when a brush fire spread out of control to consume a mobile unit, destroy a vehicle and displace a family with children.
Karen Marchan and her children - Derek, 10, and Leah, 7 - have been displaced after a fire burned into the back of their home, located near the intersection of County Highways 85 and 62 between Bear Creek and Haleyville, family member Blanca Marchan stated.
Karen was not home when the fire occurred, but her children were with their aunt, Jaquelin Marchan, when they looked out and saw the fire approaching the home, noted Blanca.
“The guy who lives down in that trailer was going to burn some trees,” Blanca stated on the scene. “When you (have) a fire, you put rocks around and do a circle like you should so it won’t spread away, and he didn’t do it. It spread.”
The fire spread to consume a mobile unit that belonged to Blanca and Karen’s grandmother, as well as destroyed a vehicle that had been parked beside it.
The fire then began spreading into the home, with a neighbor’s residence also experiencing some damage, family members said.
“They looked out the window and saw the smoke going up and the fire. That’s how they noticed (the home) was getting on fire in the back,” Blanca pointed out. “They got out.
“God is always there, always,” Blanca said.
Family members gathered around in the front yard of the residence to comfort one another as smoke billowed from the back of the house and fire consumed structures below it on a hill.
Firefighters from Bear Creek and Haleyville gathered on the scene and began to attack the blaze, hooking to a hydrant across County Highway 85 near the residence of neighbor Rena Glass.
“We came out and saw it,” Glass said. “Smoke and people were running everywhere. I started calling 9-1-1.
“It melted the back of one of the houses,” Glass added. “(It’s) just really sad. We have cried a lot since this started.”
The initial call firefighters received was a structure fire caused by a grass fire, said Bear Creek Fire Chief Adam Loden.
Haleyville assisted Bear Creek at the scene, not only in battling the blaze, but also protecting two nearby residences from fire, Loden explained.
Also responding to the scene were medics from Regional Paramedical Service, Haleyville Police Department and Alabama Power.
“It’s a sad situation anytime you lose a house, a shed, anything that’s on your own property,” Loden stated.
Karen and her children were planning to stay with family members in the immediate aftermath of the fire. Any donations will be appreciated to help them get back on their feet. The family lost many of their possessions, with fire gutting portions of the home including the children’s bedrooms.
Those who can help this family can contact Blanca at 205-269-4634.
Fire officials also issued warnings to those who continue to set brush fires, despite dry conditions fueling numerous woods fires throughout the area the past few weeks.
“If it’s real windy and dry, we advise not to burn,” Loden added.