LUFKIN, TX (KTRE) -
A Lufkin family of eight is
left homeless after their four bedroom house was destroyed in a fire. Neighbors
said the entire house on the 100 block of Forest Park was engulfed in
flames this morning within five minutes.
A Lufkin family of eight is
left homeless after their four bedroom house was destroyed in a fire. Neighbors
say within five minutes the entire house on the 100 block of Forest Park was in
flames this morning.
The family doesn't have
insurance but East Texas News found out how a Lufkin couple provided the family
with several resources.
Imagine waking up to a fire, but not to the
sounds of a smoke alarm. That's exactly what happened to a Lufkin woman Wednesday
morning just before 5 a.m. Fire officials say one single alarm could have
possibly saved this house.
"In this case, had the resident had a
smoke alarm it would've been more likely she would've been able to identify
there was a fire quicker and get the family members out quicker and safer and
been able to alert the fire department quicker, so we could've possibly saved
more of the premises," Steve McCool, a spokesman for the Lufkin Fire Department,
said.
Fortunately, everyone inside the home was
able to make it out safely. However, everything the family owned was destroyed.
In addition, the family's dog, a Chihuahua, was killed in the blaze.
Volunteers with the American Red Cross have
stepped up to help the family.
"We gave her a card with some money on
it to help them out with some immediate needs such as coats, shoes, and some
clothing items," Dale Slagle, a Red Cross volunteer, said. "They had a little
baby, so they can get some baby diapers. We had little back packs that were
made up; they were donated by some of the local businesses, and they had
pencils, papers, notebooks. We also gave out some little Mickey Mouse toys. The
kids really enjoy having something they can hang on to since they've just lost
everything that they had."
McCool said this is the time of year when
firefighters see an increase in house fires.
"Having a smoke alarm in your home can
double your chances of surviving a house fire," McCool said.
A smoke alarm is important to protect your home and
life.
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