by Chris Conte
MANSFIELD, Tenn. - Investigators in Henry County are trying to figure out if a fire that destroyed a family's home in Mansfield on Friday was intentionally set.
"It's been hard," said Stephanie Long.
Stephanie and Jeremiah Long have nothing left to hold onto but each other.
"When it hits you, you just don't know. You never ever think you're gonna leave the house and that's all you have when you get back: what' you've got on," Stephanie said sitting in front of the charred remnants of her home.
Flames took everything: every picture, every piece of clothing, and every family heirloom, even their dog and their cat.
"Roxy was my little Shorkie and Kitty Bell was our cat," she explained.
Sunday night, the couple still had not told their three children about the fire. They said it would be too hard for a child to comprehend.
"We're not gonna let them see it (the house) like this. We want them to have good memories of this place," Jeremiah Long added.
There is also the possibility that someone could have gone to their home and set the fire on purpose. Investigators will be back at their house on Monday morning to determine if that's the case.
"The front door was knocked in. The first person on scene said the door was completely on the ground," Jeremiah said about the possibility of arson.
The couple said it isn't easy to look around and see everything they owned and everything they've worked for reduced to an unrecognizable mess.
"It's almost like a death in the family. It's not as severe, but it's just such a loss," said Stephanie. "We'll just tear it down and start over."
Sunday, Stephanie and Jeremiah Long were staying in a hotel room with their three children.
The family does have fire insurance, but it will be at least a few months before they can rebuild.
Stephanie and Jeremiah Long look at their burned-down home.
