White County honored five men this week for saving a family from their burning home after an explosion.
Ryan London, Will London, Tony Hooper, Wayne Lovell, and Colt Stovall were nearby when the house on Gunns Circle exploded and erupted into flames on Oct. 8. They located the family of three trapped in the blaze and extricated them from the debris.
The White County Public Safety Department and Fire Service presented each man with the Neighborhood Hero Award.
“We are so blessed to live in a community where our friends and neighbors still look out for each other. If it was not for the quick actions of these men, we would be telling a different story this evening,” said White County Director of Public Safety David Murphy.
The family whose home exploded attended the award ceremony on Nov. 6 during the White County Commission meeting. They thanked the men for their heroic actions.
“All I can say is ‘Thank You.’ We had tried every way to get out, and we just kept hitting fire. Thank you,” said wife and mother Kelsi McClellon.
The explosion and fire destroyed the 2,500-square-foot home. Investigators have still not determined what caused it.
“It’s still under investigation, but it appears to be accidental in nature,” says Bryce Dawson, spokesperson for the state insurance and fire safety commissioner.
