Family thanks community for support after home burns down

FREEPORT, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - A Freeport family is picking up the pieces after they lost their home in a house fire.

“I sat up in bed and immediately smelled smoke.” Amy Stoyles, wife and mom of the family, said. “Your heart kind of races... so I ran downstairs. My son Brighton was asleep in his bedroom. I grabbed him and ran him out the door, and then when I turned around I could see the flames under the house and up the wall.”

According to a Walton County Fire Rescue press release, the fire broke out around 11 p.m. on March 18.

Stoyles said she, her 4-year-old son, and the family puppy all made it out of the home safely. She told NewsChannel 7 her husband and 10-year-old daughter weren’t home at the time.

After the fire was out, reportedly around 5:00 a.m., fire investigators deemed it a total loss.

“They did their best to save as much as they could and stop the fire, but it was really hot and going,” Stoyles said. “They did a great job, though. They kept it from spreading to any other houses, so I can’t say ‘thank you’ enough.”

Stoyles said while nearly everything was lost to the fire, there were some special things that were able to be saved.

“One of the firefighters came to me and said ‘is there anything you want me to find?’” Stoyles told NewsChannel 7. “He was able to save a couple of really sweet mementos. Our wedding albums were in there. Some of the things that if I could’ve gone back in to save, he was able to save for us, which is a wonderful miracle.”

After processing what had happened, Stoyles said they were immediately met with overwhelming support from people in the community.

“Our church is Point Washington United Methodist Church, they’ve been beyond wonderful and helping collect donations, they started an emergency fund for us,” Stoyles said. “We were able to get back clothing, shoes, backpacks... and be able to kind of start to put our lives back together. Strangers have brought us in bags of clothing, and I won’t be able to say thank you to them because I don’t even know how many people have come. And they didn’t give me names, they just brought things. The outpouring of support has just reminded us all of how much people care and what a great community this is.”

Stoyles said she hopes her young children are able to pass the support forward in their own lives.

“One of the really neat parts about it is that my kids have seen it,” Stoyles said. “To see the goodness of complete strangers come into their lives and help them. I really hope that lesson stays with them. This world is about taking care of each other.”

Stoyles told NewsChannel 7 they plan to rebuild and stay in Freeport.

Fire investigators reportedly determined the cause of the fire as accidental, likely caused by an animal chewing on wiring.

If you would like to help the Stoyles family, contact the Point Washington United Methodist Church.

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