Family loses home and pet to fire

IOLA - A Grimes County family lost their home and a family pet during an early morning house fire, Tuesday morning, June 22.

Iola Volunteer Firefighters responded to the home on Bluebonnet Lane shortly after 3 a.m. The homeowners, Willie and Pat Wilson, who lived at the home almost 40 years made it out of the home safely, but their dog Sparkie died.

The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined, but firefighters believe lightning from early morning storms may be to blame.

According to an account on a GoFundMe page set up for the couple, Pat was awakened by the power going off, which she thought was from the thunderstorms. She got out of bed and went to check on the family dog, who was often frightened by the storms and usually hid at the sound of thunder.

When she entered the kitchen, it was engulfed in smoke. She yelled for her husband and they called 911. They looked for Sparkie but were overwhelmed by smoke and heat forcing them to vacate the home. They were only able to escape with the clothes they were wearing. Everything in the home was a total loss.

The couple are both retired, and the fire has taken a toll on them financially. Monetary donation may be contributed via the GoFundMe page, https://gofund.me/d4fcc5a3.