Murphy – A Regal Street house that has long caught the eye of passing motorists because of a collection of junk and debris in the yard was destroyed by an overnight fire in the early morning hours of Jan. 7.
The Murphy, Peachtree and Ranger fire departments were dispatched at 12:39 a.m. Jan. 7 to a residential fire at 126 Regal St., Murphy Fire Chief Al Lovingood said. The first Murphy engine arrived at 12:44 a.m. to find a single-story residential dwelling on a basement fully involved and endangering a neighboring house to its left.
“Initial arriving personnel were met by an occupant who advised several occupants resided in the structure and everyone was out,” Lovingood said.
Personnel deployed two fire hoses for initial fire attack and to protect exposed property.
The second arriving apparatus deployed 800 feet of 3-inch supply line from hydrant at the intersection of Connahetta and Regal streets. Firefighters used a master stream to control the fire, which was completed at 1:16 a.m.
“Due to the amount of fire involvement and explosions from the structure, personnel continued in a defensive fire to protect exposures,” Lovingood said.
They remained on scene monitoring the smoldering remains well into the day.
The structure was a total loss, Lovingood said. Cause and origin of the fire were undetermined. He suspects the explosions were caused by propane tanks inside the structure.
“Previously, we installed several smoke alarms at this residence due to the living conditions, and observed several propane cylinders in the house utilized for cooking and heating, as the house had no power,” he said. “I was out of town and could only speculate. The damage was so extensive and involvement upon our arrival, it can’t be determined.
“One occupant mentioned a candle burning, but it could not be confirmed.”
The house was built on a 0.34-acre lot in 1914. According to real estate records, it was 2,159 square feet with three bedrooms and one bathroom.
Owners are Bruce and Sandy Morrow, who bought the property in 1996 for $15,000, according to Cherokee County tax records. The value of the house and a third-acre lot was assessed in 2023 at $32,670.
The address has been the focus of numerous first responder reports over the past five years, including noise complains, trespassing, overdose/poisoning, larceny and civil violations, according to Cherokee County dispatch records.