GEORGIA, Vt. -
A family in Georgia, Vermont watched with a sense of helplessness Saturday morning as their relative's home was engulfed in flames.
Luckily no one was physically hurt during the fire on Ballard Street. While neither of the owners, Gary and Gene Gilmond, were home at the time their son was there and watched as the fire took over. Many of their relatives who live close by also saw a part of their family history lost to tragedy.
"It's a devastating loss for me," Gilmond's father, Gary Gilmond Sr. said.
Gilmond Sr. put in the hard work for his son to have a home on their ranch in Georgia.
"My son worked on the farm and he decided he was going to get married and he needed a place to live so we built this house for him," Gilmond Sr. said.
But Saturday firefighters from Georgia, Milton and Saint Albans waged battle on a fire that took that home from Gilmond Jr. At the time of the fire Gilmond Jr. was driving back from Florida where he was hosting a trip for special needs children. Mrs. Gilmond was in Burlington.
"Hopefully we can save some personal belongings but it is probably a total loss," Georgia Fire Chief Chris Gonyeau said.
Gilmond Jr's son was home at the time and was about to take a nap when the popping sound of fire alerted him.
"(He) went down stairs and found some smoke and flames in the area of a pellet stove," Chief Gonyeau said.
After the Gilmond's son checked the basement he came outside and checked out back where he saw the entire wall engulfed in flames.
"It was spreading pretty rapidly so he found a phone and called 911," Chief Gonyeau said.
A pellet stove installed a few weeks ago appears to be the source of the fire according to Chief Gonyeau. It destroyed a home that stood for more than twenty years.
"But we'll make do we have this house right here and two others up the road so we'll do something," Gilmond Sr. said.
With thanksgiving less than a week away plans might change but the close knit farm family is certain to still do one thing.
"Well right now we really don't know but we got five turkeys up there and we're gonna cut their heads off Tuesday so we're gonna eat turkey anyway," Gilmond Sr. said.
