"I heard the sound like rustling in the attic, and I could smell an electrical smell," resident Donnie Banta said of the moments before the blaze
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NEED TO KNOW
- A squirrel is reportedly responsible for an electrical fire that burned down a Florida family’s home
- Residents Donnie Banta and Stacey Davis escaped their home with their two kids and two pets, but must now rebuild
- “We were just scrambling, trying to get everything together and wake everybody up and get them all out,” she said
A Florida family is starting over after their house burned down due to a fire reportedly caused by a squirrel chewing through electrical wires.
Residents Donnie Banta and Stacey Davis, along with their children and pets, were sleeping in the home just before the blaze began on the night of Jan. 31, according to local news station WMBB, which spoke with the couple in an interview published on Monday, Feb. 9.
“We were all asleep. And I heard the breaker flip in the back. So I got up to see what the noise was, and I heard the sound like rustling in the attic, and I could smell an electrical smell. So I woke everybody up and got out of the house,” Banta told the outlet.
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A GoFundMe organized by Greg and Ginny Garner shared photos of the damage, which included a partially collapsed roof.
The couple, along with their two kids, their dog and cat, did make it safely out of the home. Speaking with WMBB, Davis recalled the family's escape as "very frantic."
“We were just scrambling, trying to get everything together and wake everybody up and get them all out,” she said.
After firefighters arrived at the scene, the family later learned a rodent was behind the blaze.
“They said a squirrel got into the attic and chewed on some wires and shorted it out, and that’s what started the fire,” Banta said.
PEOPLE reached out to the Panama City Beach Fire Rescue for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
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The Garners called the incident “devastating for the family," who say that they lost everything.
“The roof collapsed, and nearly everything they owned was destroyed in the blaze. Thankfully, Stacey, her husband, and their two children made it out safely, but they are now faced with the overwhelming challenge of starting over from scratch. The loss of their home and belongings has left them in urgent need of support as they navigate this difficult time,” the GoFundMe continued.
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As of Monday evening, the campaign had raised nearly $6,000 of its $10,000 goal. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward the family's immediate needs, including housing, and costs associated with rebuilding the home.
Read the full article here
