Florida woman, 75, loses everything after fire destroys her home: 'I didn't want to be homeless'
Crews battle Orange County house fire
FOX 35's Stephanie Buffamonte was on scene after a fire broke out at a home on Avonwood Court in Orange County.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla - A 75-year-old Florida woman’s home was burned to the ground after catching fire Sunday afternoon.
Although Mary Godfrey, 75, who lives in the Maitland residence wasn’t home at the time of the fire and wasn't injured, she told FOX 35’s Stephanie Buffamonte, her home of 25 years was destroyed.
"They wouldn't let me down here," Godrey told Buffamonte. "… My phone was dead. I couldn’t even call my sister."
The American Red Cross stepped in to deliver emergency assistance, including shelter, food, and clothing.
The backstory:
Crews with Orange County Fire Rescue and Maitland Fire Department were called out just before 4:30 p.m., June 14 to the home on Avonwood Court after callers reported flames coming from the structure. Crews were met with heavy fire, OCFR reported.
Video obtained by FOX 35 shows fire shooting up out of the home and smoke billowing in the air.
Nearby neighbors were alerted to the fire by the sound – startling them, FOX 35’s Amanda McKenzie reported.
According to Orange County Fire Rescue, the sound of an explosion was most likely power lines sparking and arcing off the back of the home.
The home was unoccupied at the time of the fire, authorities said. Godrey was returning home from the grocery store when she saw her home was on fire, she told Buffamonte.
Florida woman, 75, displaced after home destroyed by fire
A 75-year-old Florida woman’s home was burned to the ground after catching fire Sunday afternoon. Although Mary Godfrey, 75, who lives in the Maitland residence wasn’t home at the time of the fire, she told FOX 35’s Stephanie Buffamonte. She’s lived in the home for 25 years, Godfrey told Buffamonte in tears.
The next morning, the home remained a "shell of a structure," McKenzie described. The yard surrounding the white brick home with brown shutters was charred with the windows blown out and burnt household appliances and items strewn across the grass.
What's next:
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Source: Information was provided by Orange County Fire Rescue and the Maitland Fire Department.