When there's smoke in the house...'Your instincts kick in'
A half hour after midnight Monday morning, the Gifford family - wife Mandy, husband Charles and their 11-year-old son Jacob - were wakened in their upstairs bedrooms by the sound of popping glass.
That's when they noticed their home was filled with smoke. Their Tamarac Street home was burning down from under them.
"It was a lot, a lot of smoke," said Mandy Gifford on Tuesday afternoon. "We flew into action, got up, grabbed our son and out the door we went."
The Giffords escaped injury, but their home was extensively damaged by fire that had started in the basement, made its way up the basement stairs and damaged the kitchen and part of a dining room. There also was smoke damage throughout the home, where they have lived for almost six years.
"It was very terrifying, though it wasn't terrifying until after the fact," Mandy Gifford said. "Your instincts kick in and it took us a couple minutes to get out of house. That's when the terror sets in, of how it could have turned out."
Charles and Mandy Gifford and their 11-year-old son were able to escape unharmed Monday from a fire that heavily damaged their Tamarac Street home in Brainerd. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
The Giffords saved a pet gecko and a cat but lost a hamster in the fire.
Investigators with the Brainerd Fire Department, the state fire marshal's office and the Gifford's insurance company are still working to find the cause of the fire.
Brainerd Fire Chief Fred Underhill said aside from the fact that the fire started in the basement, as of Tuesday afternoon the cause remained undetermined.
"Sometimes we never do come up with the whole thing that happened," Underhill said.
After spending a night at a neighbor's house, the Giffords are staying with Charles' brother and his wife in Brainerd. Mandy Gifford said they have been able to return to their home to see the damage and though the fire didn't reach the upstairs of the house, the smoke saturated everything, including their clothing. She said they will try to salvage what they can.
"It's awful but we got out so the rest is just materials, just stuff," Mandy Gifford said. "When it comes down to material things we have been pretty lucky."
The Gifford's church, Heritage Assembly of God Church in Baxter, jumped into action and set up a fund to assist the family. Checks can be made out to the Heritage Assembly of God Church and designated for the Giffords. Donations can be sent to the church at 13242 Berrywood Drive, Baxter, MN 56425.
Pastor Mark Boone said church members also have stepped up with clothing for the Gifford family and until the needs of the Giffords are known cash donations would be preferred.
"We know our people will step up to the plate but it's nice when the community embraces it," Boone said.
In addition to thanking their church, Mandy Gifford praised the response of the Brainerd Fire Department, the Brainerd Police Department and North Ambulance. She said before she was off the phone from calling 911 from a neighbor's house police officers and firefighters were there.
"Our hats are off to them," she said. "They were phenomenal."
MATT ERICKSON may be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.