Man survives fire that destroyed Granite Shoals house on Lake LBJ
Granite Shoals fire officials believe a smoke detector saved the life of a man by alerting him to a fire that destroyed a house on Lake LBJ. Courtesy photo
FROM STAFF REPORTS
GRANITE SHOALS — A fire that destroyed a home on Lake LBJ and injured a man might have been an accident, according to a preliminary assessment by fire officials April 17.
The blaze happened at about 4 p.m. April 14 at the two-story home in the 500 block of North Shorewood.
A 35-year-old man was able to escape as the fire engulfed the structure.
“He was sleeping in the house. The smoke detector definitely saved the guy’s life,” Granite Shoals Fire Rescue Chief Austin Stanphill said. “It gave him enough time to escape. He did sustain a burn injury to his hand.”
The owners of the property returned to the dwelling as it caught fire.
“The owners had come back from the Bluebonnet Festival and found the back of their house on fire,” Stanphill said. “They were able to grab the one dog and the laptop computer.
“The smoke just became too much,” he added.
Crews battled the fire in winds up to 30 mph.
“One firefighter sustained minor burn injuries from fire embers while operating the fire engine to provide water,” the chief said. “Fire damage was mostly limited to heat damage to adjacent buildings, to vegetation, and a small shed type structure.”
The fire is believed to have started downstairs and in the back of the home.
“The cause of the fire is unknown,” Stanphill said. “There’s no evidence at this point that leads us to believe there’s any criminal intent.”
As of April 18, one of the family pets had not been found, he said.
City and volunteer agencies that assisted Granite Shoals crews came from Marble Falls, Horseshoe Bay, Burnet, Cassie, Hoover’s Valley, and Cottonwood Shores.