A house full of 21 years of memories. Full of family, love, Christmas gifts and 10 newborn puppies. Then in an instant, all is gone.
A devastating fire that started Sunday morning left a family without a home. The family, filled with Willis alumni and a current high school student, are seeking donations to help rebuild their lives.
“Well, it was a normal night,” junior Constance Newman said. “We were having a good time, then it was time for bed. Everyone went to bed, but no one remembered that the heater in the office with the puppies was on, and we forgot to turn it off.”
The fire started in the office, the room that had the ten puppies sleeping soundly.
“A blanket was too close to the heater, and it just caught fire,” Newman said. “This happened around 6:30 a.m., and my brother Micky was sleeping on the couch that night. He said he felt hot and thought it was just a dream, but then he felt too hot, looked, and saw there was a fire.”
A fire tests a person’s reaction time and level-headedness in an emergency. Newman’s family did what they could to save each other.
“As that was happening, my dog Tank was barking on the other side of the house, which woke up my other brother Tyler,” Newman said. “He smelled smoke, opened his door and the smoke flooded his room. He yelled that the puppies and the house were on fire and then he came into my room yelling, waking me up.”
News of a fire in a house can make anyone’s mind go blank. Survival is determined by quick decisions made in seconds before the house is gone.
“I didn’t think, didn’t grab anything,” Newman said. “I just ran like a maniac. Then I remembered that I needed to get my boyfriend and the puppies. My boyfriend was right behind me, trying to get the water hose and bring it into the house. We were yelling for my mom and sister, who were still in their rooms. We broke the window, yelling, and they woke up and ran out of the house.”
The neighbors tried to help put the fire out but they had no success in containing it.
“Then my neighbors came over with fire extinguishers and tried to help,” Newman said. “but the fire wouldn’t go out. It just kept getting bigger and bigger.”
The family lived in the house for over two decades. It was full of memories and loved pets.
“We couldn’t find two of the dogs in the middle of all of it and that was terrifying,” Newman said. “It was so sad watching a home that we had lived in for 21 years be destroyed. We were in the middle of fixing it up, trying to make it look better. It wasn’t a good Sunday morning at all.”
The firefighters arrived quickly, and they tried to find the missing dogs and save the puppies.
“The firefighters arrived and started working,” Newman said. “We told them we had two dogs inside, and they began searching. They found one dog, but not the mommy dog. We thought if the puppies were dead, then she had to be too. It was horrible. We heard the puppies crying, and it didn’t fade away slowly, they just cried and cried, then nothing. It was the worst day ever.”
In an attempt to save the puppies, many burns were sustained.
“My brother got a lot of burns on his body trying to save the puppies,” Newman said. “The ambulance had to check him out, and they said he should go to the hospital, but he didn’t. He’s okay, though. It’s very sad.”
Finding a place to stay is difficult, especially when someone has pets.
“It’s hard to find places to go, especially with three dogs,” Newman said. “We appreciate all the help we’ve been getting, and it’s shown us how lucky we are to be alive. We miss our home and being together as a family. It’s so sad.”
Learning about the fire did not require a close relationship. The tragic news was posted on social media.
“I saw the news of the fire on Instagram,” sophomore Havana Canal said. “I feel extremely bad for everyone involved. It’s terribly sad that the puppies passed away, and I really hope the family is able to financially come back. Houses are a lot of money.”
Houses are filled with memories and items, some of which cannot be replaced.
“Everything they had must have meant so much to them,” Canal said. “Like the puppies, furniture, maybe they had childhood stuff, and Christmas presents. It is so close to Christmas time, I feel horrible. I hope they can raise the money they need.”
The money donated will go towards the family and help rebuild their house.
“Honestly, me and my family are doing horrible,” Newman said. “We’re all in shock, missing our puppies, feeling horrible for our dogs and our home. We feel guilty like we’re begging because of the GoFundMe and taking the money people have given us, but the money is helping more than anything. We’re so thankful to have such a caring community.”
