Tennessee House Fire Allowed to Burn
Firefighters Demand $75 to Fight Blaze
Firefighters in Tennessee stood by and watched a home burn to the ground over an unpaid subscription fee.
The fee, a mere $75, was not paid by homeowner Vicky Bell and was the reason why firefighters in the South Fulton area allowed the home to crumble to the ground in the blaze.
The fire occurred on Monday and was the second time over a period of two years that firefighters did not intervene in a home fire due to an unpaid fee.
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People living in the rural areas surrounding the northwestern country of South Fulton must pay an annual fee to have access to fire protection.
Bell unfortunately did not pay the fee this year and had to watch her home burn down while firefighters stood idly by and allowed her belongings to corrode.
“There’s no way to go to every fire and be able to keep up the manpower, the equipment, and just the funding for the fire department,” Mayor of South Fulton David Crocker said of the incident.
Crocker said those who live outside the city limits must pay the fee to enjoy the services because if they were not forced to pay the fee there would be no incentive to pay until a fire actually broke out.
The county’s fire policy results from a lack of funding and dates back to around 1990.
Last September, Gene Cranick and his family lost his home, three dogs, and a cat to a fire.
Crancik said he “forgot” to pay the fee, but nevertheless, lost his home after he offered an operator to pay whatever necessary to put the fire out.
The recent fires are causing people to question if fire protection is a right or a privilege.
“Is letting homes burn, and scaring non-payers, really an effective positive incentive?” John McQuaid questioned in a blog on Forbes.com.
