PEA RIDGE — Thanks to the alertness and kindness of a stranger, two young people escaped a house fire with their lives, but not much else.
Cody Davis and Karisa Trahan were sleeping at 696 Hazelton Street when they were awakened by the doorbell ringing.
Davis said smoke filled the room as soon as he opened the door from the master bedroom to the hallway.
Trahan said she ran into the master bathroom and opened a window to be able to breathe.
Davis said he felt his way to the door to answer it to a stranger alerting him that his house was on fire.
“Somebody rang the doorbell. I woke up and turned on the light, but it was still dark. It was full of smoke,” Davis said, adding that someone was at the front door saying “Yeah, dude. Your house is on fire.”
Trahan said: “He went out and Iwent to the bathroom and opened a window so I could breathe.”
Davis said he returned to get Trahan out and the two stood in the front yard watching the house burn even as Pea Ridge firefighters converged on the scene. They were soon joined by firefighters from Northeast Benton County Volunteer Fire Department and Little Flock Fire Department.
Davis’ 1972 GMC pickup truckwhich he was restoring was in the garage littered with debris falling from the burning roof and ceiling above but untouched by flames
As flames were extinguished, more erupted. Firefighters continued to check for hot spots and direct the stream of water to the necessary spots.
Davis and Trahan, dressed in night attire, were warmed by a borrowed jacket and checked by ambulance personnel. The house, which was destroyed, is owned by Karen Waldrip.
There was a smoke detector in the house, but was not operable due to lack of charged batteries, according to Fire Chief Frank Rizzio.
Neighbors watched and commiserated about the loss.
Benton County Fire Marshal Will Hanna and Pea Ridge police investigated the scene.
News, Pages 1 on 11/03/2010