Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Friday, March 16, 2012
(OOLITIC) - Miranda Poole says she is still struggling with the reality that most of her belonging are gone and her home was pretty much destroyed Wednesday night in a fire.
Tylor Russell, Miranda and the couples' 11-month-old son Gavin, escaped the blaze at 300 Lafayette Avenue.
The family is trying to salvage what they can, but that is proving to be a difficult task.
"It's still sinking in," she says. "Right now we are just going through everything and trying to save what we can. Everything is covered in soot and is soaked and smells real bad. We've tried washing our clothes, over and over and we can't get the smell out."
Poole says firefighters run into the burning home and save most of her pictures and her camera, that had photos from Gavin's birth to present, and most of Gavin's clothes.
But Poole says she wants to meet the man that alerted the family of the fire.
Poole had returned home from working at Wal-Mart and was taking a nap with Gavin, when the stranger knocked on the door waking her.
"If it wasn't for him we may not of gotten out," she says.
Miranda would like the man to call her at (812) 583-8503.
"My sister Brittany was on the computer in the living room and she thought she heard popping noises, but she thought it was just Tylor in the back yard burning something in the burn barrow and didn't think much of it," she says. "Then a man running by the house stopped and knocked. When we went outside we saw the smoke coming out of the attic vents."
The man then helped them grab what they could out of the home.
"He helped carry our big screen television out and grabbed what he could," she says. "But we have no idea who is and we really want to talk to him and thank him. Without him who knows what would have happened."
Poole says the firefighters were wonderful.
"They rushed in and saved several of the pictures on the walls and were able to grab my camera. They also grabbed most of his clothes out of his room." She added. "They were just great."
When firefighter arrived, heavy smoke was bellowing out of the attic.
"Within a couple of minutes flames were shooting out the back of the attic area," says Jason Lewis Oolitic Volunteer Fire Department Chief. "The attic was fully involved in a very short time."
Lewis says the fire was contained to the attic area but there is heavy smoke and water damage throughout.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation, but Lewis believes it is electrical in nature.
The couple does not have insurance and will need the communities support.
The firefighters were on the scene for more than three hours.
Marshall and Shawswick Volunteer Fire Departments assisted at the scene. Tops I provided food and drink for firefighters.
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