Fire tears through Georgia family's home while they were planning funeral

ELBERT COUNTY, Ga. - An Elbert County family is living out of their truck because of a random house fire.

Justin Patterson is not afraid to get his hands dirty.

He repairs homes for a living, but he never imagined he would come home one day to find everything he has worked for turned to ash.

"As soon as we turned the corner, I hadn't even turned my head and I heard my daughter go, 'It's gone, dad, it's gone,'" Patterson said.

Elbert County crews have not said what caused the devastating fire, but the Patterson family of five, including three children, were out planning a funeral as everything went up in smoke. Their 16-year-old son, heartbroken about his grandmother's death, looked forward to emotional support from their dogs.

When they returned, most of their pets were dead from the random house fire.

"The dog was his source of comfort," Melisa Kent said.

Kent, Patterson's wife, is grateful her youngest children find joy in the toys that survived the flames. She's pregnant with her fourth and has been diagnosed with a condition called placenta increta which can cause complications for expectant mothers.

Now, the family is sifting through what is left and living out of their truck, hoping to one day rebuild.

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