By David Lazenby

davidl@cullmantimes.com

A Cullman man escaped a house fire without injury Tuesday, but lost his new home, two pets and countless possessions, many of which are irreplaceable.

Roger Staples was alone at his home on County Road 1502 in Cullman when a blaze he said originated in his garage blew through the front door of the house.

The sound of the door’s breaking glass may have saved his life.

“He was asleep in the house. What woke him up was the door blowing in from the garage into the house with fire,” said Gold Ridge Volunteer Fire Chief Joseph Golden.

Staples said at first he thought his home was being broken into.

“ I didn’t know what to think,” he said.

When Staples investigated the noise, he said “flame and smoke started rolling in the house.”

After running out the back door, Staples ventured back into the home in an attempt to save his pets.

“I ran back in the house to try to get the dog and cat out,” he said.

The pets — a miniature schnauzer that had been a member of the family for four years and a cat adopted from an animal shelter the week before — were never found.

Staples then tried to salvage his burning home with a water hose, but quickly realized the attempt was futile. Heat from the flames made it impossible for Staples to get close enough for the water to be effective.

Staples made one more attempt to get his pets out of the house before he called E-911.

Golden said when fire fighters arrived at approximately 10:55 a.m., the fire was fully involved.

The fire that burned the two story home was so massive smoke was visible from miles away.

“You could see it from Dodge City,” said witness Wendy Smith.

Golden said an insurance investigator will help determine the cause of the fire.

“Nothing has been determined yet,” Golden said.

Firefighters remained on the property until Tuesday evening to make sure fire in the basement area are fully extinguished.

“Right now our goal is to keep people safe and get (the fire) cooled down,” Golden said.

Firefighters with Berlin and Fairview assisted in the effort. Golden said their role in supplying water was crucial since the closest hydrant was about a quarter of a mile away.

Although Staples acknowledged he is lucky to be alive, he said he was saddened by the loss of “a lot of stuff that can’t be replaced.”

“It’s going to bring a different meaning to Christmas this year,” Staples said. The destroyed home was already sprinkled with Christmas holiday decorations.

“They’re laying in there somewhere,” he said.

“All that stuff doesn’t matter,” his wife, Kelly, said. “I’m just glad he’s okay.”

Kelly said the home was built in 1963 and was sold to her just a few months ago.

“It was a unique house — so unique,” said Kelly. She had just completed renovations to the upstairs area of the home.

“This is the worst thing that’s ever happened to us,” she said.

Tuesday’s blaze was not the first fire Kelly has personally experienced.

She said her son, Josh Stancil, accidentally started a fire while cooking chicken a few years ago. She said the fire was sparked when he stepped outside for a few minutes.

“He forgot he’d turned the grease on,” she said. Fortunately, that fire’s damage was minimal; it only burned a section of cabinets before it could be extinguished.