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KCSO corporal loses home in New Year's Eve fire

Lance Thomas, his wife and five others said they lost everything in a house fire. Now, they are asking for the community's help.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Knox County Sheriff's Office corporal lost his home in a fire on New Year's Eve in Union County.

Lance Thomas said the fire destroyed his home and everything in it. Now, he, his wife and five others, including a baby, need clothes, shoes and supplies.

"We lost all of our furniture. We lost all the clothing and things like that, but the thing I'm most grateful for is that my son got out alive," he said. "I gotta save it, I gotta fix it. I don't want to see this hole go away."

According to the Paulette Fire Department's Facebook post, a county-all call was dispatched to Oakland Road. All nearby departments were on the scene. Paulette helped Maynardville Fire Department put the fire out. 

According to the MFD, the fire started from a portable heater that was "left plugged in too close to the bedding."

The nonprofit Blue Line Tennessee created a GoFundMe for the family, asking people to help donate because the family did not have insurance on the house.

On Thomas's Facebook Page, he said these are the donations the family needs:

  • Male shirts in size 2 XL, pants in 38/30, shoes in 9.5.
  • Female shirts in size 3 XL, pants in 3 XL, shoes in 9.
  • Male shirts in medium, pants in 30/32, shoes in 9.5.
  • Male shirts in small, pants in 28/32, shoes in 9.
  • Male shirts in medium, pants in 30/32, shoes in 10. 
  • Female shirts in small, pants in size 1, shoes in 4.
  • Baby clothes in 3 to 6 months, and 2 in diapers.

"You couldn't put a price on this, the sentimental values that this house has, to me and my family," he said.

Editor's note: Thomas gave 10News permission to share information and pictures from the scene with the public.

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