By Cory L. Higgs
An elderly couple received minor burns in the structure fire last week that claimed the life of their dog.
Russell and Joyce Wimbish were inside the home at 284 Watering Hole Drive in Patrick Springs when the fire broke out.
According to their son, Tony Wimbish, his parents told him they were lying in bed when they noticed that copious amounts of smoke began rolling into the bedroom from the living room hallway.
“It was just pouring it,” Wimbish said. “They were not asleep yet, thank God, because they may not have made it” otherwise.
The family dog, Bear, was asleep in the living room, which Wimbish said he was told seemed to hold the highest concentration of smoke.
The dog perished in the blaze, according to Wimbish.
Wimbish said his parents suffered minor burns as they fled the home they had lived in for the past 42 years. The couple escaped with only the pajamas on their backs, he said.
His parents lost everything in the fire, he said, adding that a charred family Bible was found in the rubble. Only the cover had been burned, leaving the words intact, Wimbish said, and added that he thanks God for his parents survival.
He said the family pet will be laid to rest sometime this week, and added that the family is thankful for all the support from the community.,
Several crews responded to the blaze, according to Patrick Springs Fire Chief Joey Errichetti. In addition to the Patrick Springs Volunteer Fire Department, fire crews from the Stuart Volunteer Fire Department, Moorefield Store Volunteer Fire Department and the Patrick Henry Volunteer Fire Department also responded.
Crews attacked the fire in a “surround and drown” method, Errichetti said of the attempts to extinguish the fire. However, little remained of the structure and the family’s belongings.
Errichetti said the cause of the fire is still under investigation
Wimbish created a fundraiser to help offset the costs of purchasing a new home for his parents. Those interested can donate at www.facebook.com/donate/3050635891635017/. Wimbish said other forms of donations, like trade skills also will be welcome when the new house is onsite.
