Teen saves great-grandmother from fire
Fourteen year-old Hunter Kittrell is being called a hero by family members following his rescue of his great-grandmother, Kate Townsend, from her burning home on Attala Road 1032, just off Highway 35 South last Friday at 3:50 p.m.
This is the second home Ralph and Kate Townsend have lost to fire. Their previous home in the same location burned in 1984 and was replaced.
Kittrell, who lives next door with his parents Mack and Amanda Kittrell, attends Kosciusko Junior High School.
When he was approaching home Friday afternoon, Kittrell saw smoke around the Townsend home, and initially thought the adjacent storage shed was on fire.
He discovered, however, fire had spread to the house and that “Nannie” was alone in the kitchen with the fire dangerously close.
“Nannie, your house is on fire!” he said he called out as he entered the building and led his great-grandmother to safety. Once outside, Kittrell called 911 and Attala County Fire Department responded to battle the blaze, saving a portion of the home.
Family members who gathered at the site Monday morning to begin cleanup said Kittrell’s quick action surely averted a much greater tragedy.
Kate Townsend said two of the home’s bedrooms were spared by the fire and her great-grandparents’ bedroom furniture dating back to the 1850s was not damaged.
After demolition of the burned section of the home, Townsend said they will salvage what belongings they can and again rebuild their home.
