A Franklin resident was able to uncover a few pieces of furniture from his home after a fire, but the furniture had too much smoke damage to save anything.
Brian Minner and his fiancée, Stephanie Harrison, had to move out of their Lochry Road home since it was severely damaged due to a fire in their utility room Dec. 19. The family has stayed with family members in Greenwood since the fire occurred, Minner said.
The family, including their
7- and 8-year-old sons, got out of the home safely, but their house had smoke and fire damage throughout, including heavy heat damage in their kitchen. The cause of the fire was an electrical problem with the washing machine, Franklin Fire Department Public Information Officer Brad Epperson said.
The family is looking for a new home to rent as soon as possible and should be moved in within a month, Minner said.
Friends and family have given Minner and Harrison food to help them out while searching for a new home, but Minner said food is not the issue. The family lost everything they owned — from mattresses to towels to a washer and dryer. He estimates it will cost $15,000 to replace it all.
Minner and Harrison did not have rental insurance, so all of their new items will have to be purchased out-of-pocket. Minner used to have renter’s insurance but decided to cancel it about two years ago when he did not think he needed it anymore, he said.
The Franklin Fire Department sprayed water on the home for about 15 minutes to put the fire out and took another hour to make sure the fire did not spread anywhere else in the house.
The other unit in the duplex was vacant and had minimal smoke damage, fire department public information officer Chuck Ridpath said.
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To drop off donations to Brian Minner and Stephanie Harrison, items or gift cards can be dropped off at 2629 Branigan Creek Blvd., Franklin.
Most needed items:
1 full-size mattress
1 queen-size mattress
Sheets, pillows, comforters for beds
Television
Entertainment center
Dressers
Coffee table
Washer and dryer
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