There was a fire Wednesday evening at the home of former firefighter Edward Bailey Jr. on 490 S. Strawberry Street. The fire occurred after Bailey was burning weeds behind his house earlier in the afternoon. He didn’t suspect that the fire would occur.

According to Bailey, he wet the ground after burning the vines. He suspects the heavy winds sparked the fire that nearly destroyed his shed.

At approximately 6 p.m. his mother noticed the shed was on fire. Neighbors nearby noticed the blaze and called the fire department.

According to Captain Vernon Waters of the Demopolis Fire Department, seven firefighters arrived on the scene within minutes where they discovered Bailey extinguishing the fire with his water hose.

No injuries were sustained, Waters said, and damages were estimated at $600. There was damage to a weed eater and lawn mower. Primarily, "it was junk," Bailey said. "Nothing was lost, but my pride. It was my first fire I started, after putting out fires for 10 years." This former firefighter encourages the community to be careful with Christmas trees this holiday season.

The shed was 12 feet by 15 feet and was very old. "It was no major deal," Bailey said.