Tuscaloosa man loses home to early morning house fire

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - A home on Meadow Ridge Drive in Tuscaloosa caught on fire Monday morning.

Martin Hasse lived next door to the home and was waken up by a neighbor and the fire department.

“Suddenly there was a lot of banging on my bedroom windows,” he said.

Hasse said he had no idea what the commotion was until he stepped outside and saw the damage. The neighbor’s house was completely destroyed despite efforts from the Tuscaloosa and Duncanville fire departments. The fire also touched part of Hasse’s home, melting part of the siding.

“I was more in a state of shock. I grabbed the hose over here and started to spray the side of it down,” said Hasse.

The man who lost his house was not home at the time of the fire.

According to Holly Whigham, the Education Coordinator for the Tuscaloosa Fire Department, there is no clear answer as to what started the fire.

“Currently, the cause of the fire is under investigation and unknown at this time,” said Whigham.

“Definitely shocking. A new experience for me and I wasn’t sure if anybody was home and that was number one concern,” said Hasse.

And the number one relief on Meadow Ridge Drive Monday morning: no injuries. Neighbors are thankful they are talking about the loss of a home instead of a life.

“A house can be replaced. Siding can be replaced. People can’t,” said Hasse.

The Tuscaloosa Fire Department says in recent weeks, firefighters have battled four structure fires; one was due to cooking, another one to a lightning strike and two unknown causes at this point.

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