TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – A family was displaced, their home a total loss, after a fire destroyed their house and belongings.
A family’s home as well as their next-door neighbors in the 1400 block of Woodley Avenue are now blocked off with fire tape. In the air, the smell of the charred home and the family’s material livelihood is now amongst the ashes.
“I just grabbed my fire extinguisher that I had by my stove and pulled the pin at the same time walk to the room. I opened up the closet door as I grabbed the handle, I just took a deep and said ‘God please help us’ and sprayed,” Julia Shepard said.
Julia Shepard recalls the moment she attempted to put out a fire that eventually engulfed her home. Julia said black smoke began filling the home and she knew she needed to get the kids out.
“Everybody made it out,” Julia said. “Only me and my daughter went to the hospital, to get checked out. But we ended up being fine.”
Julia was overwhelmed with emotion.
“I was crying because I knew that I didn’t have insurance. Everybody was okay, I was relieved of that and I just still shaking, crying and I couldn’t catch my breath, my throat and my chest hurt,” Julia said.
Julia is grateful to the American Red Cross and the individuals that have come to the family’s aid. However, she says there is still a lot they are in need of.
“It means the world to us right now. Like, we would not be here today with the Red Cross. Like, they are everything,” Julia said.
Julia’s spouse, Cody Knight is the only family member to go back in the house since the blaze.
“When I first glanced, the only thing that was just pure untouched, that was right there in our kitchen, was our kitchen table,” Cody said. “It just made me emotional, seeing it, because it made me feel like our Lord was watching over where we prayed every night dinner as a family.”
Terre Haute Fire Department responded to the call that came in Friday around 6:37 PM. According to Fire Chief, Bill Berry, firefighters were on scene for close to four hours. One firefighter was treated on scene for exhaustion. Another firefighter was injured and transported to the Emergency room, later released after a day in the hospital.
“All of my kids didn’t get burned. They were all fine, physically they’re fine,” Shepard said. “I think they’re more mentally damaged because of this,” she added.
In an initial press release, Chief Berry stated the fire was a confirmed arson case. The fire was said to have been started by a minor. Fire investigators were on the scene today as the fire remains under investigation.
