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Fire Destroys Sparksville Home, Family Safe But Several Pets Perish

Last updated on Saturday, January 23, 2016

(SPARKSVILLE) - A Sparksville family with six children has lost their home, belongings and pets after an early morning house fire Friday.

The Seymour Tribune reports that Doug and Rose Gorbett and their six adopted children, ranging age 5 to 17, were able to escape with no major injuries and are now staying with Rose Gorbett's mother in a one-bedroom home.

The family is in immediate need of basic items including clothing, toiletries and food, and also will need financial donations to rebuild their home in the future.

According to Rose Gorbett, everyone was asleep at the home 5746 South County Road 1100 West, southwest of Medora, when her daughter alerted them of the fire.

Gorbett was unable to find the keys to their GMC Envoy, so they packed into her smaller car and drove to a neighbor's house.

After going back to the house, Gorbett found her Envoy damaged and a motorcycle that had been on the front porch was destroyed.

Although the kids are physically OK, the family is suffering because they lost their pets - two marmoset monkeys, two sugar gliders, a guinea pig, two chihuahuas, a Yorkie and a Morkie, which is a cross between a Yorkshire terrier and a Maltese.

They are still missing a 7-month old Great Dane named Star they believe got out of the house and is running loose.

Carr Township Fire Chief Joe Barnes says the house was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived on the scene at 12:11 a.m. Friday.

Firefighters from Brownstown, Driftwood and Owen townships assisted by providing water and fighting the fire. Firefighters were on the scene until 4 a.m.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal not because the fire is suspicious in nature, but because the house and all the contents were destroyed.

The family did not have insurance.

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