Family of five escapes Tuesday fire

By: Sherrie Williams
A family of five lost most of their belongings Tuesday evening after an electrical short started a fire in the attic of their home at 404 West Louisa.

The family, Bob and Jenn McReynolds and their three children, seven-year-old Angus, and five-year-olds Logan and Liberty, were at home when the fire started. They escaped unharmed.

The complaint from the children that their television went off alerted their dad something was wrong.

Bob went to the electrical breaker panel to see what the problem was. While checking the breakers, he heard a pop above his head, a noise he recognized because he use to be a fire fighter, he said.

When he opened the attic door in the ceiling and saw a glow, that confirmed what he knew the pop meant, and yelled at his family to get out of the home and called 911.

Minutes later fire fighters arrived to find smoke coming from the residence.

“For a volunteer fire department, I was surprised at how fast they got there,” said Bob. “They did their best to save what they could. They carried things out and tried to move stuff away from the areas where the most damage was and we appreciate it.”

The firemen also helped save the Guinea Pigs and birds. Jenn said they did lose a fish. “We are so blessed,” she said.

The firemen were able to contain the fire to the attic but the home and much of the family’s personal items were heavily damaged by smoke and water. The firemen also had to remove much of the ceiling to locate “hot spots” which could reignite.

McReynolds said he has helped fight many house fires during the years he was a fireman, but it is different when it is your own. “You can never be ready when it is your own,” he said.

The McReynolds family has lived in Iowa Park almost two years, moving from Wichita Falls. Bob said he had lived in Washington state and while a fireman he was fighting a fire in a camper trailer and when the water froze on his face shield, he decided to move south.

He moved to Wichita Falls where he met Jenn.

The couple adopted the three children when they were infants and born to drug addicted mothers.

Bob drives a truck for Empire Paper and Jenn is a stay at home mom, does volunteer work and is taking college classes on line with the University of Phoenix majoring in psychology.

Shortly after moving to Iowa Park the family joined Grace Baptist Church where they are active members.

Carla Leonard, a member of the church, says the McReynolds are a sweet family.

“They are a blessing to our church and willing to do anything to help,” she said. “Those children are her life and I admire them because they adopted the children. She is a real go getter.”

Carla said Jenn told her their main goal is to find a house and get back to Iowa Park.

Bob says they need electrical work, sheet rock and lots of clean-up before they can move back into their home.

The family is staying in Wichita Falls with Jenn’s dad for now.

Red Cross helped the family with immediate needs but with Christmas a week away and most everything damaged or destroyed they still have many needs.

Carla and her husband Calvin would like to help get the family back to Iowa Park soon.
They said a benefit account has been set up at American National Bank. Donations can be made to account number 4339975.

Clothes sizes for the children are: Angus size 6/7 and size 3 shoe; and Logan and Liberty both wear size five and size 13 shoes.

Jenn said she and Bob’s bedroom only received smoke damage and they were able to save most of their clothes.

Anyone wishing to donate clothes or other items should contact Calvin at 592-2408.
“Everyone has been real helpful,” said McReynolds.

According to Iowa Park Fire Chief Randy Fulbright, three units and 10 men responded to the fire call which took them less than 30 minutes to have out, but almost three hours cleaning up “hot spots.

The Iowa Park Volunteer Fire Department also spent several hours Sunday evening, shortly after the high winds started, fighting a large grass fire west of Iowa Park between Harmony and Burnett Ranch Roads. A barn was threatened by the fire but the fire fighters were able to save it.

They were assisted by Electra, Wichita East, and Wichita West.

Fulbright says he believes the fire was started by malfunctioning equipment going down US 287.