Corinna family escapes fire that destroys camp

CORINNA – A family of four escaped unscathed from a burning camp early Monday morning, but the camp they were renting was destroyed, and they lost several pet cats in the blaze.

Corinna Assistant Fire Chief Shawn Richards said the fire call came in at 2:15 a.m. Monday from a camp on Bradberry Lane that was being remodeled to be a year-round residence.

But firefighters had problems right from the start.

“Bradberry Road is a dirt road and with all the rain we had, the main entrance to the road was impassable,” Richards said.

Firefighters from Corinna, Dexter, Garland and Newport were forced to use a separate access road that was barely a single lane wide and was also difficult to navigate.

“We had trouble getting water to the fire,” he said, noting the house was fully engulfed in fire when firefighters arrived. “The family lost everything.”

The cause of the fire is still being investigated, he said.

Two adults and their two children escaped the blaze, said Richards, who did not know the family’s name. The Red Cross immediately began providing assistance, he said.

The home was owned by Jim Medeiros and was insured, Richards said.