Members of the Vise family saw their hopes and home go up in flames on Monday in two separate fires, only days after they had moved into their newly acquired home.Michelle Vise had just signed a lease and moved from Talladega into a mobile home located at 1st Ave. South in Munford with son Tyler, daughter Kayla Watkins, Watkins’ fiancé Jordan Smith and their 8-month-old daughter, Austin Smith.
The family lost everything in the fire before they had even had time to obtain renter’s insurance, Vise said. The owner of the home, John Lee Garrison, did not have homeowner’s insurance for it.
“The report says everything was a total loss,” she said through tears. “We lost everything — my grandbaby’s pictures and baby book. You can’t ever get pictures back. But I guess we’re all OK, right?”
The family had begun moving in on Friday and were settled in by Sunday. Monday evening around 5:30, an electrical fire broke out in the living room behind the sofa while the family was home. The Munford Volunteer Fire Department responded immediately, but by the time the firefighters arrived the fire had already spread to the kitchen, down the hall and into one of the two bedrooms.
They were told they might be able to salvage some of their clothes despite heavy smoke damage, so the family packed a few things and the Talladega Red Cross put them up in McCaig Motel for a few nights while they looked for another home.
About 3 a.m. Tuesday, while the family slept safely at McCaig, the fire rekindled and this time consumed their already-damaged home in flames.
“The trailer was burnt to the ground,” said Vise’s daughter Krista Watkins. “I think it’s still under investigation.”
In the meanwhile, the family is doing all it can to cope, with four of the five family members cramped together in one hotel room. Tyler Vise is staying with his father in Munford so he can ride the bus to school.
“My car tore up today, on top of everything else,” Michelle Vise said as she tried to swallow down her sobs. “My alternator went out, I think. It’s just been a bad week.”
But she said her daughter Krista has helped a lot, as have the Salvation Army and Red Cross. The Red Cross gave them a food voucher and paid for three nights in the motel, and the Salvation Army contributed some clothes.
“If we hadn’t gotten the clothes from the Red Cross, we wouldn’t have anything,” Vise said.
She said she also stopped by Samaritan House this week and the organization donated enough money to pay for a few more nights in the hotel. Garrison, the owner of the home, refunded Vise’s rent money.
An anonymous donor has also set up a Vise/Smith Donation Account for the family at First National Bank of Talladega, and individuals may make donations to the account in the drive-thru or bank lobby. Ashley Brown, customer service representative at FNBT, said tellers are instructed to allow people to deposit money to the account, but they will be unable to give donors receipts for the contributions since the receipts have the account number on them.
Krista Watkins said her family has thus far been unable to find another home for rent.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do from here,” Vise said. “I could go stay with my parents, but they’re both disabled and they have a small little house and there’s five of us.”
The family also still needs clothes, especially for the baby, shoes, “and little financial help, so we can get back up on our feet,” Vise said. “Because when we get our own place, we’ve gotta start all over with furniture and everything. I don’t know how it’s gonna go yet.”
To contribute to the Vise/Smith Donation Account, visit your local branch of First National Bank of Talladega.
