Multiple Departments Needed to Fight Uncontrolled Burn On Southfork/Hawkins RD

On Monday evening dispatch was called to a structure fire of the abandoned house on Southfork Rd of Beattyville connected at the bottom of Hawkins Rd. According to video footage, at approximately 7:41 pm the house had began to burn with no first responders present. Dispatch was contacted at 7:44 pm by local neighbors when first seen and by this time the house was completely roaring, engulfed in flames. First responders and multiple departments fought to contain the fire until approximately 10 pm while also having to cut a fire line of trees behind the house.

Some residents, mostly those in city limits, temporarily lost water due to the trucks having to keep refilling.

KU Electric arrived midway during the fire, due to melted power lines but did not have to do any immediate or emergency work thanks to the fast response of the fire departments but stated they would be back again during daylight. The property was recently sold in January and had been unoccupied in non- liveable conditions for many years.

PRTC was in the area the next day on Tuesday to repair fiber optic lines after many reports of lost landlines and wifi along with AT&T who also replaced a phone line.PRTC employees on the scene the next day stated that approximately $5000 worth of fiber optic had to be replaced.

KU was back in the area on Wednesday to replace electric lines. At the time of the event, KSP Trooper Baker assisted LC Sheriff Department Deputy Ritchie who was on the scene, collecting/requesting information and was provided video surveillance from neighbors facing the main road and bottom of the Hawkins Rd hill, showing the times of which the event occurred and vehicles/ individuals in the area prior to the fire that day.

According to authorities this was not a scheduled/controlled burn due to residential conditions, despite a request being made.