Fire victims thank hero
Published: January 26, 2007
A humble hero, doing what he hopes people would do for him, came up big for a Georgetown couple.
Charles Hanson, the “hero” of the U.S. 25 house fire on Jan. 17 in northern Scott County, has been in contact with the fire victims, Darrell Vance and Jenny McEowen, every day since then.
Hanson, though, said he doesn’t want any acknowledgment for the rescue.
“I just hope that if someone was in my shoes, they’d do the same thing, or if it was me inside, someone would get me out of the house. But I don’t think I’m a hero,” Hanson said.
Vance disagreed.
“I want to thank him every time I talk to him,” Vance said. “He’s our hero; he saved our lives. I can’t help but thank him, but he shies away from it, and wants me to thank his boss, who was out of town while Mr. Hanson was taking care of his horses.”
Vance and McEowen have been staying at the Econo Lodge since the fire.
“We’re almost out of funds. We lost all of our clothing and we have just a little insurance. But, we’re glad to be alive,” Vance said.
The house off of U.S. 25 started to catch fire around 5 a.m. Jan. 17 while Hanson was driving down the street, checking the roads in Mallard point and horses stabled nearby.
Once he saw smoke coming from the attic vent, he said, he knew something didn’t look right.
“Before I got to check on the horses, I noticed smoke and had to check it out. I banged on the door, blew my truck’s horn and called 9-1-1, but I had to get them out of there,” Hanson said.
The house, bought in 1962 by Vance’s father, had no previous issues or defects until the fire, which was caused by a blown wire. Vance grew up in the house and moved back in a year ago with McEowen.
“Jenny and I have been with each other for eight years, and we decided to move into my childhood home about a year ago, and it was great,” Vance said. “I thanked my father for letting us stay there, but I had no idea something like this was going to happen.”
There are still hopes that the couple could possibly move back into the house if it’s rebuilt, but it looks unlikely.
“We’re hoping to get some more insurance,” Vance said, “and possibly get the house up and going again, but we’re looking at apartments, because we need somewhere safe to live.
“The foundation is still there, and some of the walls,” he continued. “The structure of the house is gone.”
Peggy Toy, of the American Red Cross, and David Smith, of Georgetown Fire Station No. 1, have been helpful in getting a benefit fund set up for Vance and McEowen, Vance said.
“I want to thank Charles, Peggy, and David, and take them all out to eat. That would be the least I could do to thank them for what all they’ve done,” Vance said.
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