Fire guts Bear Creek Road home

A fire of undetermined origin swept through Rick and Judy Bowers' Bear Creek Road home yesterday morning, destroying most of their possessions.

"By the time our first engine got here, smoke was showing on the roof and the inside was pretty much engulfed," said Chad Womack, fire chief of Anderson County Battalion 1.

"I think it started in the kitchen utility area," said Rick Bowers, who was at work when the fire ignited. "The state police are investigating it. I think the house is a total loss."

His wife, Judy Bowers, wasn't home when the blaze began either.

"I was at work, too, when someone called and said smoke was coming out of the house," said a sobbing Judy Bowers. "We've lived here 12 years. We lost almost everything.

"We did save a few pictures that were under our bed wrapped in plastic and a few fire damaged pieces of furniture."

When asked where she and her husband would be staying while deciding their next move, Bowers said, "That's the least of our problems. I've got kids we could stay with, I've got family and the best neighbors. Every neighbor around has offered us a place to stay."