Several fire departments respond to Laurel house fire

LAUREL, Miss. (WDAM) - Several Jones County fire departments responded to a house fire in Laurel Monday afternoon.

According to Jones County Fire Council Public Information Officer Dana Bumgardner, Calhoun, Soso, Hebron, Shady Grove and Laurel fire departments responded to the fire on Indian Springs Road shortly before 2 p.m.

When the first firefighters arrived, they found the brick single-family home was nearly taken over with flames.

Bumgardner says homeowners Thomas and Annelle Stephens were home at the time of the fire. Annelle reported hearing the fire alarm go, and when they went to investigate, they opened the bedroom door and smoke fiercely came out.

The Stephens evacuated the home along with their small dog with the help of a home health employee who stopped to help after passing by and seeing the smoke.

While firefighters were putting out the blaze, according to Bumgardner, the heavy wind caused the fire to spread to the neighbor’s yard, causing a stack of wood to partially burn behind the neighbor’s shed.