Sweetwater family loses home in devastating fire, begins the long road to rebuild

NOLAN COUNTY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – A fire has left a Sweetwater family devastated after their home was destroyed, despite the swift efforts of first responders. Josh and Morgan LaRue, the son and daughter-in-law of the homeowner, shared how their family is now coping with the loss and beginning the journey of rebuilding.

At approximately 1:30 a.m. on January 14, a house fire broke out in the 200 block of County Road 235. Firefighters from the Sweetwater Fire Department, Lake Sweetwater, and Roscoe Volunteer Fire Departments responded to the scene to combat the blaze. Unfortunately, the house was deemed a total loss, according to Josh and Morgan LaRue, the son and daughter-in-law of the homeowner.

“By the time the fire department got here, I know a lot of the things were to the point where it’s very hard for them to recover, and I don’t think that there was a lot that they could do at that point,” Josh shared. “It’s definitely a big loss because our family made a lot of memories out here. I’ve got several children, and my mom has several grandchildren. This is where we spend a lot of time and have a lot of family events.”

He mentioned that his mom and brother, who lived in the house, were able to escape safely but are now beginning the process of rebuilding from scratch.

“They left shoeless out of the house in the middle of the night, and so they have literally nothing that they took with them, and even the car keys burn up. So they’re actually in the process of getting car keys for their vehicles,” Josh expressed. “As far as the next steps, I know she’s got plenty of loved ones, they both do, that are going to let them come in and stay with them until we can figure something out and find another route for them and a new place to call home.”

Morgan reached out on Facebook to ask for help, and some are already lending a hand.

“Thank you all for the prayers, love, and support we have received from our friends, family, and precious community,” LaRue shared online. “We are thankful for all the support, love, and prayers!”

However, Josh and Morgan mentioned that their family members are still primarily in need of new clothes and shoes. They shared that they are specifically looking for:

• Women’s clothes – Medium to large
• Women’s shoes – Size 8-9
• Men’s clothes – Small to medium
• Men’s shoes – Size 12

For those interested in donating, there is a Venmo account where all contributions will go directly to the homeowner. For additional donation options, please visit Morgan’s Facebook post for more information.

Lake Sweetwater VFD shared, “Our prayers go out to those who lost everything this morning.” The department also stated that they will monitor the area for hotspots in the coming days.

Both Josh and Morgan wanted to thank the first responders who helped contain the flames, grateful that the most important thing remains, even on this tragic day: family.

“I just want to thank the Sweetwater Fire Departments, the Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department, and just for the hard work and effort that they put in trying to get this thing extinguished. I’m just thankful that my family made it out alive. That’s the big thing that we can take away, is that the most important thing is they have their lives. The items are just monetary items; they can come and go,” Josh shared.

“Also, thank you to all the surrounding fire departments that came to extinguish the fire! They worked all night and are still there monitoring to make sure it is completely out!” Morgan added.