By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
A storm-related tragedy was averted early Tuesday when a Decatur woman was awakened by the smell of smoke and fled her burning home.
Monica Huffine, a resident of Mix Ave., was not harmed but her home suffered major fire and water damage.
Decatur firefighters quickly extinguished the fire in the back of the home.
Three of Huffine’s adult children were on the early-morning scene later and provided her a place to stay.
As a severe thunderstorm rolled through Decatur around 1:30 a.m., some neighbors were awakened by a loud noise and saw fire in an alley behind the Huffine home. Apparently, a branch had fallen on and cut an electrical wire.
The hot wire on the ground likely caused the brief fire (see photo). Firefighters were soon on the scene and handled the situation.
Later, around 3 a.m., a neighbor on Master Drive saw smoke coming from the back of the home and called 911. The house was on fire and Huffine exited after being awakened by the smell of smoke.
City firefighters and other emergency personnel were quickly back on the scene.
Neighbors speculated that a power surge may have caused the fire, or it could have been the result of a spark from the fallen hot wire.
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