MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — The cause of a fire on Murfreesboro's North Maple Street is under investigation. The fire destroyed a home Thursday night. What happened in the midst of the fire has left a major impact on a particular family.
"They're still growing," said James McGill, looking out over a small garden of tomatoes. "We got some that are ripe over there. This is the first time we've made a garden out here, and it's done well."
It's been a few months now that James has been growing this little garden alongside daughter Vanessa and son Eric.
It's all for wife and mom, Silvia. Silvia is living with multiple sclerosis. Her family wants to grow everything she loves. The little garden includes some roses and sunflowers.
"It brings her joy," Eric said. "She just likes seeing things grow."
"My wife had a nice smile on her face," James said holding up a picture of Silvia. "We have good days and bad days. It's not all smiles all the time."
"She has that resiliency," Eric added.
It's because this family so deeply loves Silvia that what just happened was so frightening.
It was Thursday night on North Maple Street in Murfreesboro when Vanessa spotted a glowing relection on the neighbors' windows.
"I saw this red glow," she remembered. "I said, 'oh my goodness, those are flames!' I ran out of my house. I didn't know if the family was inside."
"We was screaming, yelling," said James. "Get them out of there!"
The family who lives next door was okay.
"They were able to escape through the backyard, over the fence," Vanessa said.
There was a new fear, with the smoke now pouring into the McGills' house.
"There were flames on the side of the house near the garage," Vanessa said. "It was pretty scary."
See pictures of the fire and what the home looks like now in the video above.
The Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department extinguished the fire before it could spread to the McGills' home, and they rescued Silvia from inside.
"It took a whole team of firefighters to get her out of the house and put her on the ground," Vanessa said.
"They took her out, got her out to safety," James added.
An investigation is happening now into what started the fire. Silvia is doing fine and was at a doctor's appointment when NewsChannel 5 stopped by. A family today wants to send a message to Murfreesboro Fire Rescue.
"I'd like to thank them for helping my mom out," Vanessa said.
"You're heroes, and you do a great job," James added.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
