PARIS – A fire that destroyed the home at 84 Nichols St. last week started in the bedroom wall when wires shorted out, homeowner Patricia Morris said Saturday.

William Morris had woken up to the smell of smoke at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday morning and alerted his wife, who dragged him out of the house. William Morris is disabled and uses a wheelchair and crutches.

The pair sat in the freezing cold in their car until help arrived. Both were treated for smoke inhalation. Patricia Morris said her husband had finally started to feel better. “He took in a lot of smoke,” she said.

Three cats died in the fire and the two-story log home was a complete loss. The Morrises are staying at a local hotel and plan to rebuild.

She said she wanted to thank all who had helped them:

“My family and I went through one of the most horrific experiences this past week when our house caught fire and burnt. The house was a total loss but all of that is immaterial when we realized just how lucky we were to get out with our lives. We’re writing this letter today to extend a heartfelt thank-you to all of the firefighters that risked their lives trying to save our house. The hour was early and weather conditions much less than favorable. Because of their experience and dedication, there were no injuries. Officer Raymond Parr from the Paris police department was great in getting us into his warm cruiser and directly to the hospital. Thank you.

“We would also like to thank the staff at Stephens Memorial, who not only took care of us but kept our dog warm and safe until a friend could pick him up. Our thanks also go out to the volunteers of the Salvation Army and the Red Cross for being there with all they do. Thank you to Richard Shepard, from the State Fire Marshal’s Office, and Willie Buffington, deputy fire chief. Both Rick and Willie helped us once we were released from the hospital by keeping us informed in trying to recreate the sequence of events.

“Most of all, a special thank you to our neighbors, friends, co-workers and the people in our community. Everyone has been so wonderful and generous. We’ve never felt more love and caring than we have this past week from our community. We have come to realize that a ‘home’ is not necessarily a building but the community in which you live. We will pick up the pieces and rebuild and stay right here in our ‘home.’ We can’t thank everyone enough, but hopefully this is a start.”

– Kathryn Skelton