House fire displaces Jasper family, pets rescued with oxygen masks

A fire heavily damaged a home on West 36th Street in Jasper on the evening of Jan. 9, displacing Eric and Kela Bailey and their two teenage children and damaging a neighboring house. The blaze started in the rear of the home, prompting a multiagency response that included 34 firefighters and five engines and left the scene around 9:30 p.m.

The family was not home when a passing motorist noticed heavy smoke and heard a distinct pop, then tried to alert the occupants and rescue pets before calling 911. Jasper Fire Chief Kenny Hochgesang said, "It could have been an aerosol can or the electric," about the sound the passerby heard. The woman saw the family’s pets inside but heavy smoke and frightened animals forced her to leave and summon help.

When crews arrived shortly after the roughly 6 p.m. call, smoke filled the interior. "When police arrived, they couldn’t see anything in the home from the amount of smoke," Hochgesang said. Firefighters found the blaze concentrated in the back porch, carport and garage, with smoke and water damage throughout the main portion and basement. Heavy winds complicated suppression and repeatedly reignited hot spots, and heat and smoke blew eastward, blowing out windows and causing interior smoke damage at a neighboring house. An electrical line fell to the ground, and crews contacted Jasper Electric to secure power. "We had to call Jasper Electric to come out and to take care of that issue as well," Hochgesang said; utility crews worked on restoring electricity the following morning.

Six pets were found overcome by smoke: four dogs and two cats. Two of the dogs still had a heartbeat when removed. "They were lifeless when we brought them out," Hochgesang said. Firefighters, paramedics and police used specialized pet-specific masks to deliver oxygen and chest compressions; the dogs revived and were moving before responders left. The department noted this was only the second time they have used the donated pet masks since Invisible Fence provided them years ago.

Firefighters helped the Baileys gather clothing and personal items from the home; officials said some furniture and belongings should be salvageable though the extent of structural loss was still being assessed. The family spent the night in a hotel and has other family to stay with; the Red Cross was notified to assist. The community has rallied with essentials and a GoFundMe set up for the family at gofundme.com.

This incident highlights public health risks tied to residential fires: smoke exposure, utility hazards and the need for pet-inclusive emergency tools. For neighbors on 36th Street, keep windows closed while crews work and check smoke detectors and evacuation plans at home. The takeaway? Make sure your detectors are working, know two ways out of every room, and have a plan to move pets quickly. Our two cents? A pocket-sized emergency kit and a labeled pet leash near exits can save precious minutes when every second counts.