Brentwood Fire & Rescue crews work on the blaze at country music star Trace Adkins' Brentwood home Saturday afternoon. Photo by Guy Edwards.

Update: Investigators determine cause of fire. Click here

Country music star's home destroyed by fire
By KELLY GILFILLAN
Brentwood Home Page
A number of heroes helped the family of Trace Adkins during and after a raging fire destroyed their BonBrook home Saturday afternoon.

First on that list is nanny Lindsi Weaver, said Trace's wife Rhonda Adkins.

“They were so smart,” Adkins said. “Lindsi heard the noises and said 'We have to get out.'  She is a hero.” Weaver was home with the two youngest Adkins children and another babysitter when she first heard an explosion.

“The smoke alarm did not go off and I heard the explosion. I ran to the door and looked in to the garage through the window,” Weaver recalled early Saturday evening.  “There were flames everywhere in the garage.”

Weaver ran to get the children and had them exit the home through the front door. She called 911 as they exited. 

Weaver and family friend Alyssa Falls had to convince one of the Adkins' young daughters to leave the Millsvord Court home without the family's two puppies.

Hearing about the dogs, another hero, neighbor David Young decided to help rescue them from the back deck. Because the explosions had driven the fire too high and too hot to access the back deck from the driveway, Young circled around the yard to gain access to the dogs who were agitated by the time he arrived.  One of the dogs bit Young twice in the face but his mission was successful. Four stitches in his cheek were his reward for his heroism.

According to Asst. Fire Chief Brian Goss of the Brentwood Fire & Rescue, the 911 call was received at 3:35 p.m.  A Brentwood Police office was on the scene within a minute as the alarms were sounding at the city's three fire stations.  Sunset Road’s Engine Four was on the scene within five minutes.  Sixteen men on duty at the various departments responded in addition to four staff officers.  Around 10 off-duty firefighters were also called to help.

The effort included four engines, one ladder truck, rescue squads and several manpower vehicles, Goss said. The fire's cause has not been determined, but it did start in the garage. The city's fire marshal is in the process of determining the source of the blaze.

“When we arrived, over a third of the home was visibly in flames so we hit the visible fire first from the outside,” said Goss. “Then we did an interior fire attack for several minutes before it broke through to the attic.”

At that point, the fire quickly spread through the home.

Next up for heroism is the Williamson County Red Cross Disaster Action Team. 

Susan Hardee of the Red Cross said the Adkins family was fortunate not to need much, in the way of housing and food. However through the Red Cross, Sonic representative Chuck Sugg donated 75 hamburgers for the emergency workers. 

"We have a place to go, our farm in Eagleville," Rhonda Adkins said. Trace, who was in a plane headed to Alaska when the fire began, did not learn about it until he touched down late last night. The trip, Rhonda explained, was to include several concerts as well as a fishing trip for the country music star's band. According to his website, traceadkins.com, the singer and "Celebrity Apprentice" star boarded a return flight home soon after hearing the news.

A member of the Grand Ole Opry,  Adkins' many hits include "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk." He has had four Grammy nominations and won one ACM Single of the Year award for "Your Gonna Miss This."

"It is all just stuff, but I hate that we lost the pictures and the awards," said Rhonda Adkins. "The important thing is we are all safe."

Adkins said she hoped that people would learn from this and get their photos uploaded to an online website such as Google.  She also said that the fire plan that Edmondson Elementary School had encouraged them to create worked and hopes every family will enact a plan of their own.

"They knew what to do and ran to the designated tree," said Adkins. "The children, Lindsi and my  neighbor's daughter are OK and that is all that matters. But I hope people will read this and understand the importance of protecting your family with a fire plan and protecting your memories."

Late Saturday, a post on Trace Adkins website read: "Trace wishes to express his gratitude for the immediate response of the Brentwood  Fire Department and is humbled by the outpouring of concerning from friends and fans."