A Tennessee family watched their home and possessions burn to ground this week as firefighters did nothing to help because a $75 annual subscription fee wasn't paid to the local fire department.

Vicky Bell told NBC affiliate WPSD-TV that when her mobile home in Obion County caught fire she called 911 to get help. Firefighters arrived at the scene only to watch the raging fire consume the home and the family's belongings, according to the report.

In an emergency, the first thing you think of, 'Call 9-1-1, Bell told WPSD-TV. 9-1-1 said they were in fact dispatched and they showed that they were on the scene.

Bell said she could look out her mother's trailer and see the trucks sitting at a distance.

The WPSD-TV report noted that it wasn't the first time that local firefighters didn't respond to homeowner's call for help because of the failure to pay the $75 annual fee. The same thing happened more than a year ago in the city of South Fulton, Tenn., the report stated.

South Fulton Mayor David Crocker told the station that there's no way to go to every fire and keep up the manpower, the equipment, and just the funding for the fire department.

He added that everyone should have been aware of the city's fire policy.

After the last situation, I would hope that everybody would be well aware of the rural fire fees, this time, Crocker said.

Tennessee Tennessee