Neighbors are reaching out to a Lowndes County family that lost almost all possessions just four days before Christmas.
Erinn Benge and her three children were inside their home when a fire started Wednesday night. Lowndes County District 3 firefighters responded and arrived at around 7:30 p.m. Erinn Benge’s husband, Todd Benge, was at work at the time. Erinn Benge and their three children — T.J., 12, Matthew, 3, and Carson, 9 months — escaped unharmed. However, the house received major damage.
“Almost, if not was, (a total loss),” Lowndes County District 3 volunteer firefighter Bill McCord said. “The fire was restricted to about half the house, but there was severe smoke and heat damage to the rest of the house.”
The Benge’s one-story house is on Liberty Drive in the Rural Hill community in the northern part of the district in northeast Lowndes County. According to McCord, the cause of the blaze has not been determined though firefighters have an idea of where it started.
“It started somewhere in the living room or kitchen area,” McCord said.
Firefighters were combating the fire for at least a couple hours, McCord said, noting he left to head back to the station and firefighters were still on scene.
One neighbor said the fire started at around 7 p.m. and it was a pretty big blaze.
“There were Christmas lights around the house, and it kind of engulfed it pretty quick,” one neighbor said.
Erinn Benge said it started from an electrical outlet under the carport.
“We have the Christmas lights hooked up to it,” she said. “They’re saying it shorted out.
“I think we were able to save like two things, but other than that everything else is gone.”
The family is staying with Todd Benge’s parents right now, and friends and neighbors started to help almost immediately, donating clothes and gifts.
Benge said a lot of people donated items and clothing and she said the generosity of the community is “wonderful.”
“Just last night we kind of sat down and looked at what we have and what we don’t. I think we’re good on clothes right now,” she said.
However, the family is still accepting donations of anything that could help out, big or small.
“(T.J.) lost his skateboard and helmet. It’s the little things like that you don’t think about until you don’t have anymore,” Erinn Benge said. “He was just telling me that he learned how to do a flip and now he can’t do it anymore.
“Little things like that, and my 3 year old, Matthew, is into anything outdoors. Anything outdoors peaks his interest. He has so much energy.”
Erinn Benge said the best way to donate is to drop off items at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church on Pleasant Hill Road by the Columbus Speedway. If no one is there, people can drop off the donations outside the office door. The church’s phone number is 662-329-3921.
“With it being the holidays, I’m not sure if the secretary will be there,” Erinn Benge said.
Erinn Benge is a stay-at-home mom. Todd Benge, who is in the Air Force Reserve, is a crew chief at Columbus Air Force Base.
The clothing sizes for the family are as follows:
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