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Largo man loses home, dog in fire
A 26-year-old Largo man is starting over after a fire destroyed his RV last week, taking nearly everything he owned, including his beloved dog. FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis reports.
LARGO, Fla. - A 26-year-old Largo man is starting over after a fire destroyed his RV last week, taking nearly everything he owned, including his beloved dog.
Andre Lewis had lived in the RV for about six months and says he was proud to finally have a place of his own. Now, he's back staying with nonprofit Forgotten Angels as he figures out what comes next.
Largo RV fire
The backstory:
Lewis says he was awakened by a strange feeling around 2 a.m. last week.
When Lewis opened his bedroom door, he saw what he described as a "fireball."
There was so much smoke inside the RV that Lewis said he could barely see. He remembered what he had been taught about escaping a fire and got as low as possible as he made his way out.
"I didn't think that I was going to be able to get out of the room," Lewis said.
Lewis survived the fire, but lost his belongings and his 3-year-old dog, Pluto.
Owner mourns lost dog
Why you should care:
Lewis described Pluto as his best friend and said losing him has been the hardest part of the fire.
Lewis said the experience has been the hardest thing he has ever gone through and that it was difficult to process losing everything.
The fire also came after what Lewis considered a major accomplishment: buying a home of his own earlier this year.
Downed power line cause
Forgotten Angels says it learned from the fire marshal that a downed power line caused the fire.
Nonprofit community donations
What's next:
Lewis will continue living at the Forgotten Angels compound while he works to rebuild his life.
The nonprofit is collecting household items and monetary donations to help Lewis start over. To learn more, click here.
Lewis says he is grateful for the support and is asking for prayers as he figures out what comes next.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered from an interview with Andre Lewis and representatives of Forgotten Angels about the fire, its impact and Lewis' efforts to rebuild his life.