Firefighters Respond To Tuesday Morning Fire

DeKalb County Volunteer Firefighters were called to the residence of Eric Vanatta at 400 Lee Homer Road Tuesday morning.
Assistant Fire Chief Roy Merriman says Vanatta told firefighters that he had placed a pot on the kitchen stove, poured some cooking oil in the pot, and while it was heating up, he went to the living room, sat down, and dosed off to sleep.
Vanatta says he awoke to a popping sound and discovered the kitchen was on fire. He called 911 and escaped from the house. He was not injured.
Merriman says firefighters contained the fire damage to the kitchen area but smoke spread to other parts of the house.
Members of the Blue Springs, Short Mountain Highway, Keltonburg, and Belk Fire Stations responded along with a tanker truck. EMS and law enforcement officers were also on the scene.