House of teenager with lung transplant burns

Billowing smoke comes from the Terry house on Dillon Drive on Wednesday.

"We got out, but without much more than what we were in," said Lana Terry, the mother of Odell Terry, 15, and daughter Rhonda Terry. "I ran out with my purse and cell phone. Odell ran out barefoot."

She said her son was not harmed by the fire or the rush outside, despite the cold temperatures.

Lana Terry stands in front of her house that burned on Wednesday as friend Tiffany Shands and Charles Phillips, at left, carry a table from the ruins.

According to the Dyer County Sheriff's Department report, several 911 calls came in at about 5:15 p.m. about the fire, which occurred on the house nearest U.S. Highway 51 on Dillon Drive.

Fowlkes and Bonicord volunteer fire departments responded the the blaze, which was hampered by the presence of 14 high-pressure oxygen tanks. The tanks are part of the breathing apparatus used by Odell for treatment, said Lana.

The fire is thought to have started in a utility room off the garage.

Fire consumed most of the house, including Lana's Geo Tracker that was parked in the garage.

Lana said the family was staying with relatives.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, said the report.

Property records note the house is owned by Ewell Tucker.