Woman jumps off roof of burning home after air fryer sparked fire in Franklin

By Sharon Danquah

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    NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WSMV) — A woman jumped off the roof of her burning Franklin home to escape a fire that was sparked by an air fryer.

She told WSMV4 about the moment she said was life or death.

People said they could see the window screen being punched out for the escape. Anna Coley said one minute she was taking an online test and the next jumping for her life.

“I was thinking I’m going to die honestly, and I was scared that the roof was going to collapse,” Coley said.

It’s a moment Coley said she’ll never forget, and it all started like any other Monday afternoon.

“I was at home, upstairs finishing up a proctored exam. I didn’t even realize anything was happening downstairs and then, my eyes were burning, I couldn’t see the screen and immediately, I opened my door to see what was going on and all I saw was pitch black,” Coley said.

She realized what she smelled earlier wasn’t her mom cleaning the oven, but a fire and her room quickly filled with smoke.

“As I was calling 9-1-1, I opened the window, punched the screen and kind of leaped out because I was trying to get out as quickly as possible. I just keep repeating, ‘please get me off’, ‘how can I get off’ to the policeman,” Coley said.

She finally jumped down and the fire was put out. Ash and debris are what the Coleys were left with. Firefighters said an air fryer started it all, as it was left plugged in.

So, the family just wants to remind people to unplug appliances even if they’re just sitting on your counter.

“Never in a million years would I have thought this would happen to me,” Coley said.

While the Coleys are displaced, they’re just grateful no one was hurt.

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