Gary, Amanda and their two dogs, Kali and Bailey, lived in Hazard, Kentucky for the last few years in an area known as Whitaker's Holler.
They bought it free and clear and because it was a very old home, they could not get insurance on it. They raised chickens, ducks and a grew a garden.
On Saturday, October 8th, 2022, a fire broke out while Gary was at a neighbor's home and Amanda was taking a shower. The dogs were unfortunately in the room where the fire originated. (It appears to have been electrical in nature.)
Gary was walking home and saw the smoke. He ran screaming to get Amanda out of the house. He ran to the room where the dogs were but was unable to get to them due to the intense fire. He barely got Amanda from the shower and out of the home.
Gary was injured but is recovering. Amanda is fine, other than the mental impact (on both of them).
Kali and Bailey did not survive.
Their home is completely destroyed, along with all of their belongings, including their ID, phones, keys, etc. Their vehicle was also damaged but as far as we know right now, will still run. We are having the ignition replaced since there are no keys now.
UPDATE: WE FOUND A TRAVEL TRAILER FOR THEM TO LIVE IN. A GOOD FRIEND IN EUSTIS, FLORIDA KNOCKED $5K OFF THE PRICE AND WE ARE MOVING IT TO HAZARD TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY). THE COST IS $16,000.00. WE WILL HAVE THE POWER COMPANY RESTORE POWER BY INSTALLING A NEW POWER POLE AND DROPPING THE LINES NEEDED. WE WILL HAVE AN ELECTRICIAN SET EVERYTHING UP.
One water source is contaminated and the power source was destroyed. The power will have to be repaired/replaced. The property will have to be cleared, although to start, they may be able to place the trailer on the other portion of the property. There is a well that we believe may still contain drinkable water.
The trees on the mountain behind the house and a good portion of the soil were damaged by the fire. Those trees will have to be brought down to keep them from falling on their own.
All of Gary's tools were inside the basement. He will need everything replaced. His tools were all frequently used and crucial to the upkeep of the property. They range from simple hand tools to a chainsaw.
Although Gary has a back injury from an automobile accident, he works very hard on his property and will continue to do so. He is anxious to get things as back to normal as possible.
Amanda works outside of the home in a nearby town and has taken a week off to try and deal with this tragedy. She is suffering from PTSD from her close escape from the house and is having a tough time sleeping and getting healthy rest.
I am Gary's mother and am here in Hazard, KY (I live in Eustis, FL) to help in any way I can. I am taking time from my job and my business to do so.
I have chosen this fundraising platform as it does not charge any fees. The only fees are the cc processing. If you prefer, you can mail a check. I will provide the details for that upon request.
All funds received will be deposited into our (Robin and Joe's) savings account and disbursed as needed.
Photo below is me (Grandma) and Kali Mae.
