Couple loses everything in house fire and possible burglary

July 05--Palestine Fire Chief Kelly Hughes is investigating whether burglars set a house fire Wednesday that destroyed the building and practically all of the tenants' property.

When the fire started, renters Christian Pearson, 24; Lillie Phillips, 21; and their daughter, Vivian, were out of town, celebrating Vivian's first birthday at Christian's father's house in Hemphill.

Neighbors reported the fire at approximately 5:30 a.m., when they noticed fire and smoke at the home in the 700 block of Brooklyn Street.

The house was a total loss. The couple, who are both Walmart associates, did not have renter's insurance and will start over from scratch.

Later, investigators discovered all of the electronics in the home had been stolen, raising the possibility that burglars set the fire.

"We were gone only overnight, so we took only one extra set of clothes," Christian said. "We are still in shock that we would be dead right now had we been home."

The couple had lived in the home for two years, and were renovating, included painting and setting up a new room for their daughter.

"We were fixing up her [Vivian's] room, painting the house, and putting things in order," said Lillie.

The couple knew they couldn't replace Vivian's original birth certificate, including her footprints. They happily reported that, while everything else in the drawer was lost, the certificate was not damaged.

They found one of their three cats, dead, in their home's burned remains. They are still looking for the other two cats.

Several local fundraiser are being organized. A Go Fund Me account has been set up. Donations are being taken to help the family rebuild.

The family also needs clothing. Christian Pearson wears size 30/32 pants, large shirts, and size 10 1/2 shoes.

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