Future Uncertain for Eastpoint Residents After Wildfire Torches an Estimated 40 Homes
June 25th, 2018 by Jake Stofan
State officials are cleaning up after a wildfire in Eastpoint, Florida torched 950 acres and as many as 40 homes.
Cell phone video shot Sunday evening depicts a scene, which many residents describe as the most horrifying moment of their lives.
Barbara Fox says she and her family barricaded themselves in their garage as they attempted to fight back the flames.
“The wind was amazing and you could hear explosions outside,” said Fox.
Barbara’s home was amazingly spared, but the same can’t be said for an estimated 30 to 40 others.
“All the houses across the road were down, were just completely gone,” said Fox.
Many residents like Shirley Freeman were still waiting to be allowed to survey the damage early Monday afternoon.
“We don’t know anything. My brother lost his and he had a little baby puppy in there that got burnt to death because he couldn’t get to it and save it,” Freeman said. “I just want to get in there and make sure that I still have a home.”
While the fire was contained, hotspots threatened to resurrect the blaze.
Theories on what caused the fire range from a lightning strike to a controlled burn that got out of hand.
Residents we spoke with suspect it was a controlled burn.
The State’s Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis says the cause has not not been determined, but officials are working overtime to get power restored and help residents moving forward.
“Right now they cannot access their most precious investment they’ll ever make financially in their life and that’s their home,” said Patronis. “Duke has been around here almost 24 hours now getting the power restored in order to be able to get the scene safe so the people that are here can try to get back to normal.”
The community is also coming together and collecting supplies for those in need.
“The people around town have just more than generous. They have opened their doors to everybody that needs help,” said Sandy Sanders with the American Red Cross.
Residents say many who lost their homes don’t have insurance making recovery especially daunting.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has set up a GoFundMe page to help the victims of the fire.
The department is looking to raise at least $150,000.
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