
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 15, 1994                   TAG: 9402150113
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MCCOY                                LENGTH: Short

HOUSE BURNS AFTER MAN TRIPS ON CAT, DROPS LAMP

A Montgomery County family - their electric service knocked out by the ice storm - lost their home Monday morning when a man carrying a kerosene lantern tripped over a cat.

Long Shop-McCoy Fire Chief Jeff McCoy said the fire broke out at 6585 Centennial Road at about 4 a.m. when B.J. LaRue was tripped by the cat. The lantern crashed to the floor and exploded.

With the fire spreading, LaRue, his wife and teen-age daughter quickly left the home but were hard-pressed to find a phone to call for help. Many of the LaRues' neighbors were not staying in their homes because they had no electricity. The family drove to the fire station, about a mile away, where they found someone on duty.

The two-story wooden home burned to the ground and was still smoldering Monday afternoon. McCoy said the family is staying with friends. The LaRues did have insurance.

McCoy said the harsh winter weather has kept the small volunteer department busy. During the six weeks of this new year, the fire department has answered more calls than in all of 1993. Most of the calls have been weather-related requests for assistance, he said, such as basements needing pumping out.

The Long Shop-McCoy Fire and Rescue station is running on generator power. McCoy said the station has drinking water available for the community.

by CNB