Panama City Beach Fire Rescue and Bay County Fire Control are still investigating what caused a fire in a Panama City Beach home Saturday morning.
It happened around 9 am near Back Beach Road on North Wells Road.
According to the homeowner, his wife heard a popping sound coming from a closet that holds their water heater. He says she got up to investigate and noticed smoke, so she left the house with their two dogs and got a neighbor to call 911.
Her husband, who was not home at the time, returned to the house after receiving a call from other concerned neighbors.
"That was a big load off of me," said Jeff Wright, "when I came running down the street, all the fire department, they wouldn't let me in and I was telling them 'hey this is my house - where's my wife?' He said she's safe, she's okay, before that I didn't know, I was panicked. I mean, I can't lose my wife."
Wrights says most of the damage to the home was smoke related, but almost everything inside their bedroom, where the hot water heater was located, was destroyed. Luckily, no one was injured.
Weather for Panama City, Florida
Weather Cameras
