Family homeless after blaze - MSNewsNow.com - Jackson, MS

Family homeless after blaze

A fire has left one Jackson family unhurt but homeless.

The blaze broke out Thursday night in the Presidential Hills Subdivision and destroyed a lifetime of memories. This was how the home at 139 William McKinley Circle looked Thursday night about 10 o'clock.

Flames engulfed the house and badly damaged another house next door. Six people lived in the home and all escaped unharmed. But now their home and their lives have been devastated.

"Just devastating to watch. People losing everything out in the cold. A little four-year-old with just a little tank top and some sorts and she said she was scared and she said she was cold," said neighbor Stephanie Jones. 

The family lost all of their possession, including their pets. "They basically came out in just the clothes there were sleeping in. That's all they had but everybody managed to get out but the lady, Ms. Poe, said that she had seven dogs that did not make it out of the house," added Jones.

A day after the fire, the house is a pile of rubble. The distinct smell of the blaze hung in the air. And the family is faced with trying to put their lives back together.

"They came out with nothing, just nothing. I talked with ms. Poe this morning and ever her medications were burned in the fire. And so she's just having to start from zero," Jones said. 

Fire investigators say their initial report shows the blaze began here in this utility room and then quickly spread throughout the remainder of the home. Their final report won't be finished until sometime next week at the earliest. Friends of the family say they are living in a local hotel until they can sort out their affairs. The victims are seeking assistance from the Red Cross and other non-profit organizations.

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