Soak Creek resident James Jarrell pauses to look over the remnants of his fire- damaged Jasper Lane home as he cleans up and salvages belongings Thursday. His home caught fire early Monday morning when his next door neighbor David Davis’ home was set ablaze by Soak Creek resident Carl Cox, killing Davis and leading to Cox’s arrest on arson and murder charges. Jarrell was home at the time, dozing on the couch watching TV as his wife Melissa and 8-year-old daughter Rebecca were sleeping. One of his two cats jumped up to the window and meowed ominously, waking him up and alerting him to the blaze in time to get his family out. Both of his cats are still missing.
BECKLEY, W.Va. — When David Davis’ house was set on fire Sunday night, it ignited a chain of events that would change the lives of one family that was living at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The fire in Soak Creek killed Davis, injured three firefighters and left one family homeless. Carl Cox has been charged with arson and Davis’ murder in connection to the fire.
“It was a scary situation,” James Jarrell said. “I was worried about getting everybody out because, when I sat up and saw flames, that’s when I told myself that it was time to move it.
“I called 911 before I came out. By the time I ran around the back, the siding was all melted from the back door to the end of the trailer. I was out there with a water hose.”
Jarrell says he ended up thanking Cox, not knowing that he had allegedly started the fire.
“Carl Cox came up on the porch to warn me to get out,” he said. “The fire alarms didn’t go off until things were blazing. My girl’s dog woke her up and she just sat on the bed, screaming. She didn’t know what to do. Our cat got my attention the most. I was daydreaming. It didn’t seem real.
“I’m lucky in more ways than you can imagine, thank God. I thank the Lord above. I’ve been out of work for a year after a heart attack. We were doing good and then we get faced with this.”
The family is living in a great community and everything is going to be fine, Jarrell said.
“Everyone around here has stepped up to help us,” he said. “They’ve given us clothes, school supplies, toys and just about everything you can think of. That’s where most of everything came from for my daughter to go to school. This is the best community that I’ve lived in yet…
