Fire in Austin Bottom Community Leaves Family Homeless

A fire destroyed a two story home in the Austin Bottom community of DeKalb County Tuesday evening.
The residence at 1000 Sunny Point Road belonged to Eric and Linda Westin. The family lost the home and all their belongings including two dogs and a cat. The fire is estimated to have caused $450,000 in damage.
David Agee, Assistant DeKalb County Fire Chief, told WJLE that Mr. Westin was home at the time and discovered the blaze in the basement when he went to check on his dogs after he heard them barking. He was unable to save the animals.
As firefighters were enroute, Mr. Westin tried to extinguish the blaze himself and suffered second degree burns to the tops of both hands. He was treated at Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
Mrs. Westin, director of the Friends of Cookeville/Putnam County Animals, was not at home at the time of the fire.
The Austin Bottom Fire Station was the first to arrive. Members of the Short Mountain Highway, Midway, Johnson’s Chapel, Tanker 1, and Equipment Truck also responded from DeKalb County along with Putnam County Fire Department who sent a tanker and volunteers through the counties’ mutual aid agreement.
The cause of the fire is undetermined.