Lexington firefighters battle flames and snow

Firefighters told ABC 36 News they could see flames from almost a quarter-mile away from Wallingford Court.

“I had a great big pan of water and I threw it on,” homeowner Verdis Pennington said. “Then, I went outside and got some snow and threw that on it and nothing would stop it.”

75-year-old Pennington has lived in his home on Wallingford Court for 49 years.

“It was a little bitty house,” he said. “I doubled the size of it and built garages and out buildings.”

When a fire broke out in his home on Tuesday morning, he tried to save it and his 10 dogs and two cats inside.

“One of the dogs stays right with me all the time,” Pennington said. “She followed me outside, but I couldn’t get the rest of them to come.”

The fire broke out around 11:30 a.m. and Lexington firefighters rushed to the scene, traveling through unplowed streets and dangerous roads.

“With the weather being what it is, it has extended response times due to the roads that are either not clear or partially clear,” Lexington Fire Department Battalion Chief Mark Harvey said. “The footing is slippery. It make the job that much harder.”

Firefighters battled heavy flames at the home, but they were able to rescue many of the pets inside.

At one point, firefighters even used a special oxygen kit to help a cat that was found inside.