COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. – A family in Columbia County is working to rebuild their lives after a devastating fire destroyed their home two weeks before Christmas.
Catherine Robinson, the Lake City homeowner, received the shocking news while she was at work. She told News4JAX her son was at home sleeping when the fire broke out. Fortunately, he managed to escape unharmed, along with the family’s pets.
“I just, I couldn’t even look,” Robinson told News4KAX. “I mean, I couldn’t even watch,” she said, recalling her reaction upon seeing her home engulfed in flames.
Robinson’s GoFundMe: House Fire Left Us with Nothing, Please Help
As Robinson walked through the remnants of her home, she pointed out where each room once stood.
“That corner room was my son’s room, and then this area was the living room. That was my bedroom, where those coat hangers were hanging. That was my room,” she explained.
Reflecting on the loss, Robinson described her feelings as overwhelming and surreal.
“It’s just overwhelming. I still can’t even... I’m numb. I’m not I feel like I just don’t feel anything. I know it’s real, but it doesn’t really. I just it just doesn’t seem real,” she shared.
Amidst the ashes, Robinson discovered some cherished items, including her old army jacket with patches from her uncle’s service in Desert Storm and her own Girl Scout patches sewn on by her father.
“I was hoping that was going to be in better shape,” she said, picking up the ash-covered jacket off the ground.
Adding to the heartbreak, Robinson said she had just paid off her home.
“Literally, I had just paid it off. I had not even one month without a payment. Not even one month,” she said.
Despite attempts to secure homeowners insurance, she was denied due to the age of her roof, which she insists was sound and leak-free.
Despite the loss of her home and memories, Robinson remains hopeful about rebuilding, though she acknowledges it will be a long journey.
Robinson believes the fire started from one of her pets accidentally knocking a heater into the Christmas tree.
She is now working to raise enough money to build a new home.