Tree falls on Brooksville house, barely missing homeowner inside

BROOKSVILLE (FOX13) - A tree destroyed a Brooksville family's home, crashing down just feet from where the homeowner was doing work inside.

Ryan Gill tells FOX 13 he was sitting inside his home when heard a loud boom.
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"The whole house just shook and I just hit the ground thinking that somebody dropped a bomb, until I looked in the kitchen and saw the tree branches in here," said Gill.

The tree split the Gill's roof and crushed everything inside their kitchen. They say the home is a total loss. A giant limb landed right next to where his five-year-old son sleeps. At the time, only Gill was inside the home. His pregnant wife and son were away.

Gill says there were no storms in the area and the tree just seemed to fall randomly. He says he had an arborist look at the tree several months ago and was assured it was safe.

The Gills have experienced loss before. Their home in Montana burned down in 2012 when wild fires swept through the rural area they lived in.

The family hopes their luck will turn soon. Kelly Gill is due next week.

"No more fire country and no more houses with big trees and we'll be sure to check for sinkholes before we move into a house," said Gill.