A couple stood helplessly by and watched their home and valuables go up in flames because a team of firefighters refused to help - as they had not paid their 'subscription fees'.
Vicky Bell and her boyfriend managed to escape from their trailer home but did not have time to grab many personal belongings. Miss Bell, from Tennessee, said the blaze was terrifying - but almost as shocking was seeing fire trucks sitting in the distance and doing nothing to help.
Rural residents who want to be protected by the fire officers in their nearby town of South Fulton must pay a $75 annual subscription. South Fulton Mayor David Crocker told Local 6 WPSD that if they don't collect fire fees, the fire department can't survive - and if they make exceptions to the rule, no one will ever pay the fee.