Two perish in Lanark Village fire

Two people died Friday morning in a house fire in Lanark Village at 2335 Jubilee Street.

The house was the oldest structure in Lanark built shortly at the beginning of the Twentieth Century.

The deceased are believed to be Raymond and Anne Mathis, both in their late fifties, although these details remain unconfirmed. An autopsy was conducted Monday at the State Medical Examiner's Office in Panama City.

The fire started about 6:04 a.m. in the single-story, wood-frame house, said Capt. Joe Steadman of the State Fire Marshal's Office.

Mike Rundel, chief of the St. James / Lanark Village Volunteer Department said the house was fully involved by the time firefighters arrived on the scene. Carrabelle Fire Chief Carl Whaley and firefighters from Carrabelle also responded to the alarm.

Steadman said live power lines, fallen to the ground after being severed by the blaze where they attached to the house, impeded firefighters.

"There was definitely a problem with the live wires," said Rundel. "It was a bad situation, a very grisly scene. There was also a lot of ammunition going off inside of the house."

Problems plague firefighters

Rundel said his crew was dispatched at 6:09 a.m. "At that time I verbally requested a Progress Energy truck be sent to the scene. We arrived in Lanark and attempted to hook up to the hydrant at US 98 and Spring Street," he said. "The hydrant blew, which means the flange failed and we couldn't get any water. We had to hunt for a secondary hydrant and pull a second line.

"We still had the water on before the power truck arrived. I didn't see a Progress Energy employee till 6:59 a.m.," he said. "We intend on talking to Progress Energy at the end of this week to find out what went on and why it took so long for the power to get turned off. They are stretched thin in the county. This is becoming a chronic problem with what I've seen in Apalachicola and as fire chief in Lanark."

Progress Energy officials said their trucks arrived around 6:52 a.m. The power line had to be de-energized at a switch pole on Louisiana Street because the nearest pole on Miller Street was blocked by several trailers.

Rundel said problems with the hydrant are under investigation, but the water department is responsible for maintaining the equipment and line.

State Fire Marshall investigator Karl Morgan said the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

"They have not discovered anything yet that would indicate foul play," Steadman said.

The home belonged to Ann Mathis, who inherited it from her mother, the late Millicent Jean Duval, a British war bride who moved to Florida with her husband, Buford, after World War II.

Search for the family's dogs

            Four rabbits were killed in the blaze and three dogs survived but fled in fear. Rundel said that one of the dogs has been taken to animal control. The other two have been seen in the area but remain unapproachable. There is also an injured cat wandering in the area.

            "We have already had people come forward and offer to take these dogs," he said. "If anyone gets them. Take them to animal control and they will be placed in new homes."