NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Nashville woman spoke out on behalf of her 79-year-old Carolyn Martin mother after the home she lived in for more than two decades was destroyed in a fire.
Wanda Drew said the blaze broke out shortly after electricity was restored following last month’s winter storm outages.
Drew said telling her mother that the home she cherished was now charred and destroyed was something she could not bring herself to do alone.
“I let my sister show it to her,” Drew said.
Martin had lived in the home for more than 20 years.
“My mom is always at home. Either she’s going to doctor appointments, or we’re over here to see her and check on her. She’s basically always lived by herself,” Drew said.
While the structure is still standing, Drew said everything inside was lost, including irreplaceable family keepsakes.
“Pictures, toys from her great grand-kids — just a lot of individual things,” she said.
Some items were melted beyond recognition. According to Drew, the fire happened on Friday, Jan. 30, during the week when power was being restored across the area after the winter storm.
She said she was driving by that morning, on her birthday, to check whether the electricity had come back on when she saw smoke pouring from the home.
“We came back to see if the lights was on. I pulled around the corner, and smoke was everywhere,” she said.
Drew said investigators told the family the fire may have been sparked by a power surge when electricity was restored. She said a fire investigator told them the blaze appeared to have started in a back room.
As the family reflects on decades of memories made inside the home, the loss weighs heavily.
“We used to come in the summertime and sit on the porch,” Drew said.
Despite the devastation, Drew said one thing is certain: their mother will not face this alone.
“I don’t care what time of day it is, what time of night — if she needs us, we’re coming,” she said.
NewsChannel 5 reached out to Nashville Electric Service to ask whether the utility is taking any steps to assist families if it is determined a power surge contributed to damage.
This story was reported by Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
During a week when it seems that frustration is the prevailing sentiment felt across middle Tennessee amid ongoing power outages, Forrest Sanders brings us a story of love, faithfulness and a remarkable family... plus, a little humor on the side. Enjoy!
- Carrie Sharp
