Robin Hebert recalled hearing a loud banging at the front door of her mother’s home as the two watched TV late on an otherwise ordinary night to that point. Neither was prepared for what came next.
“Our neighbor tells us, ‘Ya’ll gotta get out of here, the house is on fire! The house is on fire!’” Hebert said. “I peek out the window and sure enough, there’s a big ol’ fire – and we had to hustle.”
Hebert’s mother Shirley LeBlanc’s medical situation at the age of 83 made getting out of their home difficult, including that she requires breathing aid through an oxygen machine, which was kept going via an extension cord as the two moved into the driveway across the street. Two neighbors helped LeBlanc out of her home and away from danger and then police officers helped get her to the home of a neighbor, where she and her daughter were able to wait until finding a place to stay.
But LeBlanc’s Luling home that she’s lived in for more than 30 years – behind the one-time Freeman Cleaners building – was completely damaged by the fire, which apparently began in an apartment building near her home.
“The fire department said the A/C blew up,” said Hebert. “They had no power and were using a little generator … they’ve had to basically rebuild it. There are a lot of different factors … it was built in the 1930s, and now there are new codes so you have to make changes for that.”
The Red Cross supplied funding and put the three – Hebert, LeBlanc and the family dog, Boudreaux – up in a hotel until Hebert’s brother was able to find a temporary place to stay for them. LeBlanc’s home is Hebert’s home too, as the latter has taken on a role as her mother’s full-time caretaker.
The fire proved a scary scenario to get away from. Hebert said the fire spread to the shed outside LeBlanc’s home, which in turn bridged to the latter’s attic.
“It wooshed through the attic with all that insulation,” Hebert said. “The bedroom suffered the most damage from the fire … that’s where it started coming through the ceiling.”
LeBlanc’s home was completely paid for, and is in the process of rebuilding; but neither the family nor the apartment owner where the fire began has insurance, which makes the financial hit fairly severe.
“We have a ways to go, and it’s going slow,” Hebert said. “It’s starting to take a toll.”
The family has found help from friends and others in the community through a GoFundMe page made by Hebert’s sister Renee which has raised more than $2,000. Dufrene Lumber also donated materials to help, which a church fundraiser also aided the cause.
“We’re so grateful,” Hebert said. “We’ve mostly been at a standstill because of the financial side of it, but every bit helps.”
It sadly is the second fire both mother and daughter have experienced.
In February of 2016, Hebert’s Luling home was set on fire by her ex-husband, who pleaded guilty to simple arson later that year. LeBlanc witnessed the man leaving the scene and immediately called Hebert, who was not home, when she saw smoke coming from the house.
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