Home fire spares Bible
Early-morning blaze displaces family of 5; Red Cross providing assistance
By Noah Haglund
Video
Ladson mobile home fire
A fire destroyed almost everything Alan Burnett and his family owned when it burned through their Ladson mobile home on Monday. Burnett, his wife and their three children are likely to stay with his father in Goose Creek as they try to rebuild.
The Post and Courier
Alan Burnett leafs through the Bible recovered from his mobile home after it caught fire Monday morning.
The Post and Courier
A firefighter hands C & B Fire Chief Dale Hoelz one of the few items left intact after fire destroyed a mobile home on Little Ranch Roach in Ladson: a Bible. Crews responded to the home shortly before 9 a.m. Monday to find it engulfed in flames.
To help
To donate to the Red Cross Hero for Fire Victims campaign to help survivors of this and other local disasters, send a check to the American Red Cross, Carolina Lowcountry Chapter, 8085 Rivers Ave., Suite F., North Charleston, SC 29406; or call 764-2323 ext. 386. A secure online donation can be made at LowcountryRedCross.org.
Ladson — A fire destroyed almost everything Alan Burnett and his family owned when it burned their mobile home Monday.
But it did leave one item relatively unscathed — a Bible. Burnett had grown interested in religion only recently.
"I never started to care about it until a few months ago," he said. "That's actually the first Bible that I've ever read a Scripture out of."
The Burnetts' home sat on Little Ranch Road, a dirt track surrounded by pastures about a half-mile from Ladson Road. Burnett had been getting ready for work nearby when he noticed smoke about 8:45 a.m.
When the C & B Fire Department arrived, the single-wide mobile home was engulfed in flames, Chief Dale Hoelz said. Crews spent 15 to 20 minutes bringing flames under control and remained on scene for hours.
With his home still smoldering, Burnett, 25, reflected on the work he had put into the house.
He had lived there for a couple of years with his wife and three children: a son and two daughters who range in age from 3 months to 5 years.
The home with metal siding might not have looked like much from outside. But inside, it was a showcase of heavy labor. Burnett said he bought it for $900 a couple years ago and had rebuilt it practically from scratch.
He tore out rotten paneling, replaced the walls, put in new cabinets and installed hardwood floors.
"It was almost a brand-new trailer inside," he said.
Because he didn't have insurance, that labor is gone. The fire also consumed their Christmas presents.
For now, the family plans to stay with Burnett's parents in Goose Creek.
The Carolina Lowcountry Chapter of the American Red Cross was helping replace clothing and food as well as supplies for their infant daughter, media relations specialist Nancy Olson said.
The local Red Cross has helped 14 families displaced by fires since Dec. 1, Olson said, including one in Macedonia the same morning. In that fire, the camper that two people were living in while remodeling their home on 1175 Betsy Hole Road burned. Because of the renovations, they weren't able to stay in the house.
Reach Noah Haglund at 937-5550 or nhaglund@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
redreader (anonymous) says...
This is a coincidence, not news. What if a complete collection of Playboy magazine had been spared? Would that rate a P&C mention?
December 16, 2008 at 8:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
summerville_guy (anonymous) says...
If you don't consider it to be news, don't read the article. It's as simple as that.
December 16, 2008 at 9:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iculukin (anonymous) says...
I can't imagine thinking the way some of you think.
December 16, 2008 at 9:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ashley0908 (anonymous) says...
Maybe God is working in a different way and by burning down his home, he has plans for a better home for them. The bible would be a symbol of God showing that he is there with them and will help them through this. Who knows.. I do not live my life by the bible, but this was my first thought on things. Maybe it was just by chance it was the only thing not burned. Who knows!
December 16, 2008 at 10:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ch84ct (anonymous) says...
Although it is unfortunate that this family lost their possessions, it is pretty amazing that the ONE thing that was spared was the ONLY thing that will truly affect their lives for the better. Everything else can be replaced, but I think the fact that God's word was the only thing UNAFFECTED by fire is a pretty strong message to this man. If this family is reading this, just know that God loves each of you- and I, for one, will be praying for you.
December 16, 2008 at 10:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eatmorecollards (anonymous) says...
I don't know of any scientific studies ever being done as to why bibles survive fires. I do know that its a common occurrence.
December 16, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
eatmorecollards, I've heard of this before too...at least twice, I think...doesn't surprise me anymore.
December 16, 2008 at 11:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
NotProvincial (anonymous) says...
I think it's awesome the Red Cross helped these people out.
December 16, 2008 at 11:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dhshjh (anonymous) says...
JimIslander..Why do you look down on everything? You say negative things on every post. You are one unhappy & angry person. I will pray for you because it seems you sure need something else in your life. God allowed my trailer to burn down also, and I had no insurance. But now, through the grace of God, I have a house instead and the things that burned where just that, things, now I have more and better.
To the family. God works to make bad things turn to good if you let Him. Keep on praying.
December 16, 2008 at 12:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
My first thought was that God showed him that because he turned to Him, He will never leave, He will always be there no matter how bad things get. God gives us free will, which explains a lot of things. Free will for someone to improperly wire a trailer for example or a machine to malfunction. To those who don't understand why it's news- the majority of Americans are christians. The majority. You don't have to like it, believe it or even read about it. But the fact is most of us do believe.
December 16, 2008 at 1:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SpiderJohn (anonymous) says...
Everyone needs something to believe in.
December 16, 2008 at 1:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Charleston_21 (anonymous) says...
I believe in God.
I think it's also so funny that alot of people who sit here and degrade God or those who believe in Him celeberate His holidays. Like I have said in a previous post on here, they don't mind degrading God but they don't mind getting presents on Christmas :)
December 16, 2008 at 1:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SpiderJohn (anonymous) says...
http://www.google.com/search?q=bible+...
Look at all the bibles that have survived fires......there seems to be a trend with fires and bibles.
December 16, 2008 at 1:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SpiderJohn (anonymous) says...
Christmas is celebrated throughout the Christian population, but is also celebrated by many non-Christians as a secular, cultural festival. The holiday is celebrated around the world. Because gift-giving and several other aspects of the holiday involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, Christmas has become a major event for many retailers.
Christmas is now a commercial holiday.
Not to mention the pagan holiday of winter solstice was hijacked by the Christain church.
December 16, 2008 at 2:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
Posted by JimIslander on December 16, 2008 at 7:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
WoW!!
Every other single thing in the trailer burned to a crisp and only a bible survived.
This guy would have been a lot better off if it was the other way around!
Thank you Jesus for allowing this poor mans home to burn causing him to lose everything.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Bible wasn't the only thing survived, this man and his family survived also. It was only by the Grace of God that they did. So, do you thinkit would have been better if he and his family had perished as well?
Glory be to God for sparing this man and his family's lives!
December 16, 2008 at 5:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
B_Fwank (anonymous) says...
There has to be a scientific answer for this. Are Bibles made of asbestos? No, that couldnt be, they would be banned by the EPA.
Maybe, its because;
"Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
No, that cant be, lets see, hmmm, this is a tough one.
SpiderJ, nice link. Coincidence is, well coincidental.
Lovely_One, hit it on the head - this man and his family survived also. And what is left to make them think about it, not a plasma TV, Ipod, xbox, or websters dictionary, nope, just a bible.
December 16, 2008 at 6:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
crazybobbie84 (anonymous) says...
The family of Alan and Adrian Burnett want to thank each and eveyone for all their kindness during their lost of their trailer. They were so overwelmed by the pouring out of clothing,gifts, money and prayers .
Thank you each and every one and God Bless
Mrs Roberta Hein ( Adrian grand mother & Great grand parents of their children
December 22, 2008 at 3:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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