Sevier County family picking up the pieces after fire destroys home

WEARS VALLEY, Tenn. (WATE) — A house reduced to ashes in a matter of minutes — that is what the Caves family experienced on March 19 as a fire ripped through their Sevier County home.

The house held a special place in Jesica Caves heart.

“This house means a lot,” Caves said ” It was my dad’s house and when he died, he left it for us to live in. So it had sentimental value.”

The Caves were able to escape the flames relatively unscathed. However, there were belongings inside that could not be saved, of those were numerous pets.

There were pets in the house. We lost seven dogs, two iguanas, two snakes, a bearded dragon, a turtle and a rabbit,” Bryson Caves said. “They meant a lot. They were all rescues.”

The family now picking up the pieces and are getting help from neighbors, their place of work and a GoFundMe while they get back on their feet. The Caves are currently looking at getting a new home in the same spot along High View Road.

“I’ve got a goal set for $5,000 so we can put a down payment on a mobile home to be brought up here,” Caves said. “I spoke with someone at Clayton Homes the other day and they said once they have the down payment it will take 4-6 weeks to get it up here.”

In the meantime, the Caves are staying at their place of work giving them a roof over their head. Bryson said it’s great to work for a company that cares about its employees.

We are told fire crews arrived on scene roughly four minutes after the initial call, but by that time the house was already a total loss.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side.