CRAB ORCHARD HOME ALLOWED TO BURN AT OWNER’S REQUEST
On Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at approximately 11:52 AM, Cumberland County Fire and Rescue responded to a structure fire on Highway 70 East in Crab Orchard.
Dispatch records identified the incident as a residential fire with visible smoke emanating from the roof.
Upon arrival, firefighters discovered that the property owner had explicitly requested the department allow the structure to burn completely. The home carried no insurance, and the owner had been contending with ongoing issues of squatters and repeated vandalism.
In a departure from standard protocol—where crews typically extinguish fires to preserve property—the department honored the owner’s directive, permitting the blaze to consume the building as a means of resolving the persistent trespassing and damage problems.
