'I knew I had lost everything': Family devastated after fire destroys home

A Morgan County family returned home on Saturday to find they had lost everything.

Their home had been destroyed by a fire. In the fire, they lost medical equipment, family treasures, and their dog.

Dallas Sparks is 74 years old and retired. He worked as a heavy equipment operator and helped foster children with his wife, Clarice.

"We were in that business for several years. We helped so many kids," said Sparks.

He and his wife designed a home to help foster kids.

Sparks and his wife grew up in the same town, but in September 2023, Sparks lost Clarice after being married for over 54 years.

"Me and her were very close and she is always on my mind," said Sparks.

He was several miles from where he lived when he saw the smoke and knew it was his home.

"When I was about 5 miles away. I could see the smoke," said Sparks. "I knew I had lost everything."

Ashes flew in the air as the fire left only memories, including everything that Dallas's wife had.

"It's just sad to lose the thing that she had done. That's what hurts."

Sparks and his family are still processing what happened and waiting to see what the insurance company says about the home.

At the same time, they are trying to replace their grandson's medical equipment.

Fire officials said that the cause is still under investigation.

If you want to donate, the family has a GoFundMe page setup: https://gofund.me/007a0f45.