‘I’m OK, by the grace of God’: Campbell County woman displaced after house fire

CAMPBELL COUNTY, Va. – A woman is thankful to be unharmed after a fire engulfed her Campbell County home in flames Monday morning.

Crews arrived at her home on Waterlick Road around 9:15 a.m. after a Campbell County medic unit passing by called the fire department. When they arrived, crews found flames and smoke coming out of every window.

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Authorities say the fire started in the back of the house and traveled to the front porch, where crews were able to stop it before it reached the second floor.

Deborah Goughnour, the homeowner, has lived in the house for 26 years. Now, she’ll have to live with her son for the time being.

“I’m OK, by the grace of God,” said Goughnour.

Goughnour said she was in her front room sewing while drying clothes when she saw black smoke from her dryer engulf the entire house. She came downstairs, where flames were shooting so high it caught her hair on fire. She says she has never had an issue with her dryer before and claims to clean out her filter often.

Authorities say Goughnour then ran to the Forest Volunteer Fire Department down the road because she left her phone in the house.

Her phone is working and she was able to save her photos.

Authorities say the first floor is a total loss and the second floor has heavy smoke damage.

The cause is still under investigation.