Video: Artesia Fire Victims Get Help

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Artesia, Miss.(WCBI)–A Lowndes County family of 10 is homeless after a fire destroys their home on Thompson Street in Artesia. All of the victims escaped the Friday blaze except a 14 year old girl who sustained serious burns to her body.

Two sisters were living at that home they shared with 8 other children and grandchildren ranging in ages 1 through 18 years. Luckily all 9 occupants escaped the grease fire that started in the kitchen area without injury.

When the house went up in flames at the corner of Thompson Street and Highway 788 in Artesia, believe it or not…only one girl, a teenager got badly hurt.

“The grease got caught on the stove and the grease got out of hand, it started to blazing up on the stove. It got up so fast we couldn’t do nothing about it,” said Gennette Brewer, Fire Victim’s Aunt.

“Then Lasandra come outside, she was running to me she was saying I’m burned I’m burned. So we immediately hoped in a neighbors car and rushed her to Baptist. We met the ambulance on the road by the high school,” said Tineka Malone, Fire Victim’s Aunt.

“And I do know that she do have some third degree burns and some second degree burns right now,” said Rev. Sammy White, Pastor, Oakland M. B. Church.

The Lowndes County family members escaped the fire with just the clothes on their backs. That’s why Artesia residents and members of Oakland M. B. Church of Crawford are asking for donations of clothes, food, and monetary gifts to help the family who at this time are staying with relatives in different places.

“We do need help with this family. They lost everything. Clothes, school books, medicine,” said Rev. White.

“My nephew had medication, his heart medicine because he had just had heart surgery about three weeks ago,” said Brewer.

“My sister-in-law Gennette, she had just went shopping for her girls and they lost all of that. Her purse, her money, everything,” said Tineka Malone, Fire Victim’s Aunt.

And so now after the fire the community is busy helping the victims, meanwhile 14 year old Lasandra Washington continues to recover from her injuries.

“She is doing fine they did her skin graft yesterday and she should be coming home soon. She just in a lot of pain,” said Malone.

Anyone wanting to donate items to the fire victims may call Oakland M. B. Church at 662-304-0442 or 662-769-1225.