Family loses everything in trailer fire
GREENSBORO – When Jim Hixon and his family decided to spend the night at a relative’s house recently, the decision may have saved their lives. Because it was cold in their doublewide trailer at 160 Main St., Dora Village, Greensboro, on Wednesday night, Jim and Tara Hixon and their two young sons spent the night with Jim’s brother. Early the next morning, when Jim and his brother were to start their jobs as sanitation workers for F&D Sanitation of Greensboro, they discovered Jim Hixon’s home engulfed in flames.
After calling 911, the men could do little but watch the home burn to the ground. Tara Hixon, 23, who works at Teletech, said her husband called 911, “but it was completely gone.” She said her husband discovered the fire shortly after 5 a.m.
“It was a complete disaster. Everything’s gone except what we had on,” she said. Tara Hixon said she had about 80 percent of her Christmas shopping completed. “Now it’s all gone,” she said.
Tara Hixon speculated that the fire was electrical in nature, although the state police fire marshal has been called to determine the exact cause of the blaze.
The couple has overcome adversity in the past. Their son Cody, 3 1/2, is blind and suffers from cerebral palsy. They also have another son, Caleb, 2.
Tara Hixon’s mother, Betty Winslow of Rowe’s Run, Grindstone, said that the family staying away that night was a blessing in disguise. “They would have burned up,” she said. Two puppies died in the fire.
Winslow, a widow on a fixed income, said her daughter and son-in-law have been through a lot.
“These kids have really had it hard,” she said. Winslow said Tara was in an accident a couple years ago and nearly lost her legs and then lost her father in January. Winslow, herself an amputee, said her daughter has also been dealing with her son’s illness and Jim Hixon, 28, was in a machinery accident and more recently suffered a stroke.
Winslow said through it all her daughter has maintained a good outlook on life instead of becoming bitter and resentful. But Winslow said when Tara called and left a message Thursday morning she was hysterical.
“She’s been through a lot,” Winslow said.
Winslow said the trailer had a new roof on it and once it collapsed, it kept smoldering, preventing firefighters from retrieving anything inside.
“It was all her Christmas stuff and everything she ever owned,” Winslow said. Although Winslow lives with her two sons, ages 20 and 10, she offered for her daughter and family to stay with her. Winslow said when her youngest son heard of the tragedy, he offered to give Tara $10 of the $13 he had, an offer that she declined. Winslow said her daughter finally agreed to take the money, but said she will give it back to the boy later.
Because of the age of the home, Tara Hixon said she and her husband did not have insurance on it. They had lived at the location for 1 1/2 years. Tara Hixon said the next step is for the family to find someplace to rent. She said the American Red Cross delivered vouchers for food and clothes on Friday and they plan to stay with Jim’s brother for the time being.
“We’re looking for someplace to rent until we figure something out,” she said.
According to a spokesman from the Greene County 911 Center, the Greensboro, Bobtown and Carmichaels fire departments responded to the fire.