The Speedwell family blame the fireworks for the house fire; must rebuild

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SPEEDWELL, Tennessee (WATE) A Speedwell family needs to rebuild most of their home after it caught fire this weekend. The family believed the fireworks were the cause of the blaze. Roy Mullins said it happened on Friday.

“They were outside shooting fireworks and embers or something fell on the roof,” Mullins said.

Mullins was the only person inside at the time.

“I was lying on my bed and one of my granddaughters comes in and ‘come on daddy. We have to get out of the house. I said it was on fire, ”Mullins said.

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Mullins said flames were coming out of the roof and the right side of the house, while smoke was coming out of the left side. He and his family attempted to calm the blaze while awaiting the arrival of volunteer Speedwell firefighters.

“We got on the ladder, started squirting it and all that. And we dug a hole in the extension I’m building on and tried to get some water in, but the volunteer firefighters have about 20 minutes. They were wonderful, ”said Mullins.

Mullins said thanks to firefighters his house was still standing. However, the fire destroyed the roof and he said the water and smoke damaged most of the rest of his home.

He said he will have to replace all the flooring and plasterboard in the basement, and most likely on the upper floor as well.

“The sad thing is I don’t have insurance, you know, or one of the sad things about it,” Mullins said.

Mullins said he had home insurance for as long as his family had lived in the house, since 1996. But, after making a few changes to the house, he never updated his insurance.

He said that because the assurance had not been updated with the changes he made, the assurance he had was essentially null and void.

This means that his family was going to have to pay for the reconstruction out of his pocket.

“I estimated it if I do, at about $ 40,000, you know, but the fireman said between $ 50 and $ 60,000. But I think I can get away with a little less than that, ”Mullins said.

At 75, Mullins still works hard in construction and his wife works as a special education teacher. He said he and his wife couldn’t afford to retire yet. They are raising five of their grandchildren, the youngest being two years old.

“I call him little Red,” Mullins said of the younger. He said it was his mate.

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So the rebuilding won’t be easy to pay for, but with Mullins working in construction, he plans to do most of the work himself with a little help from family and friends. At 75, Mullins said it wouldn’t be too easy for him to do most of the work, but he hopes the renovations will be done in about three to four months.

Mullins is not used to needing help. He said he’s usually the one who volunteers, building ramps, ramps and other things for the elderly. He doesn’t like to be the one to receive, but he says he’s really grateful to anyone who helps.

“I want to thank everyone. I don’t care if it’s a penny or a hundred dollars or whatever. I appreciate everything. It will be used for what it should be used for, ”Mullins said.

Her family started a fundraiser to help with the cost of the rebuild. If you would like to donate, you can find the website by clicking on this link: GoFundMe for the Mullins Family.

The American Red Cross also helped the Mullins family. As the family works to rebuild their home, Mullins said they are staying with one of his daughters.

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