JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A family of five is without a home after a destructive fire broke out earlier this week. It happened on Jacksonville’s westside near Normandy Boulevard on Tuesday, March 18th.
“There’s been times that I was on the road thinking I want to drive back home but then I have to drive to the hotel,” said Swain.
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Action News Jax Shanila Kabir spoke to the mother of three, Taneva Swain, who said she had just left the house and was only gone for twenty minutes.
That’s when she suddenly got a call from her son that her entire home was engulfed in flames.
Her three kids- two adult children and an eight-year-old were home and made it out safely. Unfortunately, they lost everything, including their pet birds and turtle.
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“They actually started smelling smoke, and then once my son realized where the smoke was coming from, and it was so much smoke seeping out of the garage. The door was closed, and the smoke was still seeping through the door.”
Swain believes it was an electrical fire that started in the garage, but the cause is still under investigation.
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She is now asking everyone to have more fire extinguishers in their homes, and in easy-to-reach places.
“We definitely had a fire extinguisher, but it was actually in the garage where the fire started,” said Swain.
In the process, two of their cars were also partially melted. The family is unsure if they will even be drivable.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the family as they figure out their next steps. If you wish to donate or read more, click here.
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