BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – The Red Cross is providing support to the families impacted by a fire in Sharpes, near Cocoa, Friday afternoon.
A spokesperson for Brevard Fire Rescue said investigators are working to determine an official cause, but they believe a controlled burn may have spread quickly to homes in the area.
Officials initially said five homes were destroyed, but later clarified that one of them had previously been destroyed in another fire.
Donna Carlisle said the fire surrounded her grandma’s mobile home. On one side, her neighbor’s fence is burned. On the other, the entire home is reduced to rubble and ash.
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“His whole house is gone. I can’t even like fathom what I’m looking at, to be honest,” Carlisle said.
Carlisle said she first learned about Friday’s fire while at a funeral home. Her grandmother had passed away the day before. When her sister called her and told her what was happening, she feared losing her grandmother’s home too, along with every memory in it.
“My sister called me while I was at the funeral home and she said my grandmother’s house was on fire, that there was a fire on the fence line and there was smoke coming out of the house after the firefighters kicked in the door,” Carlisle said. “I really felt like my whole life was just done for a second, and then I got here and there was just so much relief.”
Carlisle said there is some smoke damage on the inside, and the plastic siding is melted on the backside of the home. She said she is thankful for the firefighters and their quick response.
“Her house is still standing. Everything she owns is still here. I thank the firefighters so much for doing what they do,” Carlisle said.
Carlisle and many neighbors in the area are now counting their blessings. Teresa Parrish saod her house was untouched, but her neighbors across the street lost everything.
“I was scared to death because I’m an older person and this is all I’ve got. I don’t have any idea where I would go,” Parrish said.
Fifty homes were evacuated Friday. Parrish said some people chose to stay behind and use garden hoses to save homes on her street.
Fire officials in Brevard County said most families were able to return home Friday. The Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 13 people who were displaced by the fire. A spokesperson tells News 6 they will work with those families to connect them with the resources they need and help them get back on their feet.