House Fire in Athens

Although no-one was hurt, the family in residence lost nearly all their worldly possessions.

Photo By Bailey Pace

    A house caught fire early Friday evening, September 16 at approximately five o’clock in the evening. The fire broke out at a residence along Beckett Hill Road across from Concord University’s Callaghan Stadium. Concord University’s very own Rick Dillon was on the scene.

     There was reported to have been three adults and three children living in the house at the time. The flames broke out in the kitchen and spread throughout the house. Everyone got out of the house in time and no one was harmed. However, almost all of their belongings were lost in the fire. The family did manage to move their cars to safety. 

    The house where the fire took place is beside Concord University’s ALEF House, which was evacuated due to safety concerns. According to Rick Dillon, the Athens Volunteer Fire Department responded “quickly and did excellent work. It probably took them less than an hour to completely put the fire out. It was still smoking, but there were no flames,” said Dillon 

    The Fire Department sent four of their trucks, and closed down Beckett Hill Road. The family that was involved, the Bowers, have relatives in Hinton, West Virginia that they are staying with as they try to rebuild their lives. If you wish to help the Bower family, you can donate to their Go Fund Me by visiting https://www.gofundme.com/2pm5tes

    According to their Go Fund Me story, “Seth and Dee Bower and their three young children have lost everything in a house fire. They are all safe and unharmed but they only have the clothes they left the burning house in. They are staying with family and trying to get back on their feet so anything you can do will be of great help. They are a young family that has to start over with nothing.”