WSB-TV’s Tom Regan reports that what was supposed to be a simple Christmas lights outing in Carroll County ended with a phone call no family is ready for.
Regan says the family left their newly built home on Paynes Lake Road near Carrollton for about half an hour. When they returned, the house was already being swallowed by a massive fire.
In Regan’s video report, the scene behind him isn’t “damaged.” It’s gone – reduced to charred debris and ash, with some areas still smoldering.
Regan describes the house as the family’s dream home, a place they designed and built just two years ago. It was supposed to be their second Christmas in that home, not the day it disappeared.
“We Were Gone 30 Minutes”
Regan speaks with Stephanie Skrzypek, who explains how fast the night went sideways.
Stephanie tells Regan that she and her family took the kids to see Christmas lights, and they had only been gone about 30 minutes when they got the call that their house was on fire.
In the way Regan frames it, that short gap is what makes this story punch so hard. You can do everything right, leave the house like you always do, and still come back to sirens and flames.
Stephanie tells Regan that by the time they arrived, the home was “fully engulfed.” That phrasing matters because it hints at how quickly the fire spread and how little time there was for anyone to stop it early.
Regan reports that the cause has not been officially determined. Still, the family says investigators suspect something many households have sitting around right now: a lithium battery.
The Dogs Were Trapped, Then Pulled Out Unconscious
Regan says one of the only bright spots in this story came in the middle of the chaos – when firefighters went in for the family’s dogs.
Stephanie tells Regan that her mother arrived right after firefighters did, and she realized the two dogs were still inside the burning house.
Regan reports that firefighters rushed in, pulled the dogs out, and revived them outside.
In Regan’s telling, the detail that sticks is the condition the dogs were in. They were unconscious when they came out, and then they were brought back.
Stephanie points to a specific room and tells Regan that’s where the dogs were. She says they were saved, and that they’re doing very well now.
It’s hard not to react to that with something personal, because most people understand pets aren’t “just animals” to families. They’re part of the home, part of the holiday, part of the routine that makes a place feel safe.
Regan also makes it clear this wasn’t some small kitchen flare-up. The fire had enough heat to do damage outside the house too, and that says a lot about how intense the blaze was.
Heat So Brutal It Melted A Kids’ Jungle Gym
Regan shows and describes something that sounds almost unreal until you picture it.
He reports that the fire was so hot that the heat from the flames melted a children’s jungle gym about 30 feet away from the house.
That’s the kind of detail that turns a fire from “bad” into “violent,” the kind that overpowers a structure and keeps radiating outward.
Regan says the fire chief told him the cause has not been determined yet, which is important because, in moments like this, people want an explanation immediately.
But what Regan captures well is that families don’t get to wait for a final report before reality hits. The home is already gone, even if the investigation is still open.
Stephanie tells Regan that investigators have theories, and she relays what she was told about where the fire may have started.
According to Stephanie, an investigator explained that the fire began on one side of the house – near one of her boys’ rooms – and the suspected spark was a lithium battery.
Regan also notes that the family’s belief involves an “exploding” lithium battery, but he repeats the key point: the official cause has not been confirmed.
That balance matters, because fires can start in a lot of ways. Still, the suspicion alone is enough to make viewers look around their own homes at the devices charging overnight.
A Dream Home Was Also A Livelihood
Regan doesn’t just report a home burning down. He reports a family’s entire setup collapsing at once.
Stephanie tells Regan the fire destroyed the kitchen where she baked and sold custom cakes.
She tells Regan she had a customer base and had been doing that work for more than 10 years.
Stephanie even names the business for Regan: “Sweet Tooth Creations by Stephanie.”
That detail hits differently because it shows what was lost wasn’t only furniture and walls. It was also tools, equipment, ingredients, orders, and the kind of home-based hustle that takes years to build.
A house fire is devastating on its own. Add in a small business that operates out of the home, and the loss multiplies fast.
It’s not just “we need a place to sleep.” It’s “we just lost the thing that helps us pay for life.”
Regan’s report leaves you thinking about how fragile that arrangement can be, even though it’s incredibly common now – especially with home bakeries, online shops, and side businesses run out of kitchens and garages.
“It’s A Christmas Miracle We’re All Still Alive”
Regan also speaks with Thomas Skrzypek, who is still trying to process what happened.
Thomas tells Regan it’s devastating, and he admits he doesn’t even know what to say.
And honestly, that’s the most believable reaction in the world. People think they’ll have a speech ready in a crisis, but most don’t. They just stand there staring at what used to be their home.
Despite everything, Regan reports that the family keeps returning to one thought: they’re alive.
Stephanie calls it a “Christmas miracle” that everyone is still alive, and Regan frames that gratitude as the emotional anchor of the story.
Regan reports the family will spend Christmas with relatives. The home is gone, but the family is together, and that’s what they’re clinging to.
It’s the kind of line people say in tragedy, but it isn’t just a cliché. When you’re staring at ashes, the fact that nobody was inside can be the only thing keeping you upright.
Regan also reports that a GoFundMe has been set up to help the family with expenses, and he directs viewers to the station’s website for information on how to donate.
The Lithium Battery Warning Hits Close To Home
At the end of the segment, the newscast shifts from this one family’s loss to a broader warning.
The anchors point out that a lot of electronic gifts around the holidays use lithium-ion batteries, which means the risk isn’t rare or limited to one household.
They cite guidance from the National Fire Protection Association, which offers practical steps people can actually follow.
According to the NFPA tips shared in the report, people should only use the charger that came with the device.
The NFPA guidance also warns not to toss lithium batteries in the trash, and encourages looking for listed or certified batteries – something that should be stamped on both the box and the battery.
That part of Regan’s report lands because it’s not fearmongering. It’s the kind of basic safety advice that sounds boring – until you see what a fast-moving fire can do to a brand-new home.
And it’s tough not to feel a little frustrated that we live in a time where so many everyday objects carry real risk if misused or poorly made, even when families are just trying to enjoy the holidays.
Regan’s story doesn’t just show a burned house. It shows how quickly normal life can flip, and how a family can lose a home, a business, and a sense of security in the time it takes to drive around looking at Christmas lights.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.
