Fireeeee!

That's just disappointing. I think my opinion of the heroism of firefighters just went down a little bit. So here's the short version of what happened: In Tennessee homeowners must pay $75 annually for fire protection. If they don't pay the fee and their home catches fire, you better know it's just tough luck - even if firefighters are positioned just outside the home with hoses at the ready. That's just harsh! A man named Gene found this out the hard way.

Gene's house caught on fire last week, he couldn't put out the fire with his garden hoses and fire extinguishers so he called 911. During the emergency call, he offered to pay all expenses to the Fire Department's defense of his home, but the firefighters refused to do anything.

They did, however, come out when Gene's neighbor who had already paid the fee called 911 because he was worried the fire might spread to his property. Once they arrived, members of the fire department stood by and watched Gene's home burn. I think that was extremely cruel of them. Even if it was breaking the rules I would have helped the man. The stupid, ignorant firefighters only went into action when the fire reached the neighbor's property! Can you believe that? Firefighters standing around and watching a family's home burn to the ground! For shame!

"I hadn't paid my $75 and that's what they want, $75, and they don't care how much it burned down," Gene Cranick told WPSD, an NBC affiliate in Kentucky. "I thought they'd come out and put it out, even if you hadn't paid your $75, but I was wrong."