Red Cross brought fire victims financial help and support to get through the first few days of loss after their home burned Saturday night on Durham Avenue in Brownwood.
At approximately 10:30 p.m., 25-year-old Mabel Miller received a call that the home she had been renting in the 1800 block of Durham Avenue, along with all of the contents, was on fire. Miller and two of her children lived in the house with her now ex-boyfriend and one of his male friends and were in the process of relocating. Unfortunately, none of their belongings had been moved out of the house when the fire occurred and they lost everything, according to Miller. She also stated that Saturday was her birthday.Miller and her children were not at the home during the fire. The cause of the fire, according to what had been told to Miller, may have been a gas heater that caught the curtains on fire. Brownwood Fire Marshal Buddy Preston is continuing his investigation into the cause.
Preston described the damage to the home as, “completely gutted on the inside.”
The family had recently moved from Brady to Brownwood, due to her job at a local convenience store, moving into the home about four months ago, Miller said. They did not have renter’s insurance.
Red Cross volunteers Jeannette Chesser and Bill Blagg came to give a little help Sunday afternoon, offering financial help to buy things such as clothing and food. Because of the seasonal weather, the family is also provided an allowance for seasonal clothing such as a coat for each of the victims. Each of the children was given a small Mickey Mouse stuffed animal from the Red Cross as well. Chesser and Blagg plan to visit with the other occupants of the house on Monday.
“We try to get people through the first three days, and by then usually friends, family and church support kicks in,” said Blagg. He explained that often, fire victims also don’t have a place to stay, but fortunately these victims had family they could temporarily stay with. For others, the Red Cross provides a few days stay in a hotel, giving them time to figure out permanent housing.
The immediate help from the Red Cross provides hope to the victims; however, they are not able to give them enough to start their lives over, especially when a home is a total loss and all their belongings burn with it.
Miller explained that her and two of her children, a 3-year-old son and 18-month-old daughter, lived in the house and lost all of their clothes and other belongings. Her other two children, an 8-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter, visited for the weekend losing their weekend’s worth of clothing as well.
For those wanting to help the family, donations are being accepted at Miller’s workplace Wes-T-Go, located at 1400 Coggin Avenue in Brownwood.
Sizes for the family are as follows:
- 18-month-old daughter: 18-24 month size clothing, size 6 shoe, size 5 diapers
- 3-year-old son: 3-4 T clothing, size 10 shoe
- Mabel: 14 pants, large shirts, size 8 ½ shoe
Visiting children:
- 8-year-old son: 8 Regular pants, 8-10 shirts, size 4 shoe
- 6-year-old daughter: 12-14 clothing, size 2 shoe
Blagg explained that the help that the Red Cross is able to give victims of disasters comes from donations, not from government funding.
“A lot of people think the money comes from the government, but it doesn’t, it comes from donations,” said Blagg. He and Chesser explained that although the Red Cross was chartered by Congress, they do not receive any government funding.
Those wishing to donate to the Red Cross to enable the organization to continue helping local disaster victims can click here to donate. The American Red Cross West Central Texas Chapter serves Brown, Coleman, Comanche, Concho, Coke, Mills, Tom Green, Schleicher, Reagan, Irion, Sterling, San Saba, and McCullough counties.
The Red Cross responds to disaster, big and small, 24 hours a day across the community. Those wanting to make a difference and become a Red Cross volunteer may call the local Red Cross chapter at 325-658-4409 or visit www.volunteerconnection.redcross.org.
Pictured above and below is the damaged home Sunday morning.
