A Duck Hill family is counting their blessings today following an early morning fire that destroyed their home Memorial Day.
The blaze broke out just after 5 a.m. at 35 Fishers Crossing Road and quickly spread through the one-story brick structure. Within five minutes, the house was completely engulfed in flames.
Longtime Grenada School District teachers, Blake Powell, and his wife, Brittany, along with their three elementary-aged daughters, Blakely, 10, Braelyn, 9, and Bonnie Kate, 5, made it out of the house safely, but salvaged very little.
“We barely made it out,” Brittany said as she dug through the rubble Monday morning. “We’ve lost everything.”
Duck Hill Volunteer Fire Department initially responded to the scene following a 5:07 a.m. fire alarm call.
“The homeowner said that he woke up to the smell of smoke, opened the door and saw the carport on fire,” DHVFD Chief Michael D. Woods said. “It was fully involved when we arrived on the scene.”
Elliott Volunteer Fire Department and Winona Fire Department were called in for mutual aid. The Grenada Fire Department and MedStat Emergency Medical Service also responded to the scene. In total, six fire trucks and approximately 20 firefighters were needed to fight the blaze, which required more than 30,000 gallons of water and took four and a half hours to extinguish.
“The help and assistance from Elliot and Winona are greatly appreciated,” Woods added. “Both departments were on scene within 15 minutes calling for assistance. We couldn’t have stopped the fire without their help.”
The fire is believed to have originated from an electrical outlet in the carport, but remains under investigation. The home was a total loss as well as the couple’s two vehicles.
Any friends or community members wishing to make monetary donations can do so by dropping cash or checks by The Winona Times office located at 401 Summit Street in Winona or The Grenada Star office located at 355 W. Monroe St., across from Grocery Basket in Grenada. A mail slot is available next to the doorway for after-hours donations at The Grenada Star. You can also Venmo donations to @Brittany-Powell-2088.
If you would like to donate clothing, you can also drop off items at The Winona Times or The Grenada Star. Sizes are listed below:
• Blake: 3X tops, 2x bottoms, size 13 shoes
• Brittany: Large tops, Medium bottoms, size 4 shoes
• Blakely: 10/12 tops, Large (10-12) bottoms, size 3 shoes
• Braelyn: 8 tops, Large (10-12) bottoms, size 1 shoes
• Bonnie Kate: 5 tops, Small (6) bottoms, size 9 shoes
Several Grenada County and Montgomery County civic organizations and churches are also
assisting the family with clothing, food and other needs.
