A house fire Monday evening destroyed a local family’s home just north of Hanceville, injuring one man and displacing the family from the newly-constructed residence.

Fire fighters from Hanceville, Johnson’s Crossing, and Cullman responded at the home of Billy Atchison, located on County Road 622 about a mile east of U.S. Highway 31 between Hanceville and Cullman. 

Atchison and his family were at home at the time of the fire; he was injured with second-degree burns, according to a Cullman city official in communication with responders at the scene. No other family members or fire fighters were injured.

Hanceville Mayor Kenneth Nail, who was present at the scene, said the fire appeared to have started near the home’s fireplace and spread rapidly to a nearby Christmas tree. Fire personnel in both Hanceville and Cullman have long known Atchison, who works as a field sales representative for Sunbelt Fire, a Fairhope-based firefighting equipment supply business.

The fire broke out shortly before 6 p.m., said Nail. Firefighters were still at the scene well after 8 p.m., though the blaze had been contained. The family had only recently moved into the two-story home, which had finished construction within the past year, Nail said.