July 11, 2003

PRESS RELEASE
To: Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Asst. to the Fire Chief
Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Fire Damages Cherokee Park Home

A two-story home in the Cherokee Park neighborhood was heavily damaged by fire this afternoon just after 1:30 p.m. . .

When firefighters from the nearby North Market station arrived at the residence, smoke and flames were coming out of the front and south side of the home. Four occupants, including a 10 and five-year-old were able to escape without injury before fire crews arrived. However, as family dog was killed in the blaze. Firefighters spend nearly 25 minutes fighting the blaze that consumed most of the front corner of the home, including the porch of the structure.

Resident Paula Gilliam, 18 said she and one of the children were outdoors in the front yard when they saw flames coming out of a front bedroom. Paula Gilliam ran inside of the home and alerted Esponosha Gilliam, 21, and the other child, who were both upstairs, that the house was on fire.

Fire investigators are still on the scene at this hour and have not determined an exact cause of the blaze. However, they are following up on information that the electricity had gone out in the neighborhood around 10:00 a.m. that morning and had been restored just before the fire. ###