HARNED, Ky. (WDRB) -- A pile of ashes and a depleted structure is all that remains of a Breckenridge County home that caught fire last week.
Hannah Bramlett, who lives in the home, said she woke up and panicked.
"All you could see was flames," she recalled. She said she keeps reliving the images, and unfortunately, the home was a total loss.
Fire officials said that despite dispatching all seven departments in the county, there weren't enough firefighters there to contain the flames.
"Water is an issue, personnel is an issue," said John Betner, a captain with the Custer Fire Department. "You do what you can, but in the end the lady lost her home."
"They were running their tail off and that was every single fire department in the county," Bramlett added. "There still wasn't enough."
The devastated home is now a symbol for volunteer shortages in Breckenridge County.
"We have to call neighboring counties, or we ultimately just don't have enough people, or the people we do have are exhausted," Betner said. "The end result is usually a total loss."
There are no paid firefighters in Breckenridge County. Many of the volunteers have other jobs and can't respond to calls right away. At times, Betner said, he is the only firefighter to go on a run.
"There will come a time where there won't be anybody to respond," he said. "It's only getting worse."
The seven fire departments in the county rely on small grants and an optional $40 yearly fire tax to pay the bills. Usually, it amounts to just over $30,000 per year for the department.
Betner said creating incentives to bring in recruits with such low funding is tough. Until that changes, departments will have to rely on volunteers.
It's an issue that even fire victims are recognizing.
"I've actually considered it myself, if I was in the position to be a firefighter," said Bramlett. "They need the help."
Copyright 2022 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
