Woman, 91, appeals for help after fire severely damages home
LIBERTY CITY - A 91-year-old woman is appealing for help after a fire early on the morning of Juneteenth severely damages the home she has lived in for 62 years.
Mable Mulkey told CBS News Miami's Peter D'Oench that she is heartbroken and devastated after the damage done by the blaze to her home at N.W. 51st St. and 18th Avenue.
It is where she has lived since May of 1961.
Mulkey said she was sleeping at 4 a.m. on Monday when a fire alarm alerted her to the blaze. She was able to get out of her home safely but there is extensive damage and for now, she is living at her daughter's home.
Mulkey said, "I saw this fire and it was burning like a forest fire. The curtains, the rugs, the furniture. It was just burning. It was intense, very intense. I was thinking I am going to lose my life or my house. I feel really bad. I feel hurt and I feel real bad. I raised 5 children in that house. I feel a loss. I really feel a loss."
She said, "Everything in that house I worked very hard to buy everything in and for that house. My husband died in 1980 and I still do what I need to do. I have a lot of anxiety and I am just hoping things will get straightened out so I can get back to my place."
Mulkey says to save money, she had canceled her homeowners' insurance policy.
"We had it a while back but it was so expensive and I couldn't handle it," she said.
"It would mean a lot for me to get back into my home. I have only been out of the home for 3 days and I miss it real bad."
Mulkey's daughter Adrienne Jackson and volunteers are helping.
Jackson said, "I am upset. I am very upset. This was her whole life. This is her home. She worked very hard for everything her. It would mean a lot if people continued to help out."
Meanwhile, family members and volunteers like Torey Lynn say they will continue to work nonstop until the home is restored.
Lynn said, "I am helping out because they are good friends of my family and I have known them for a very long time. I took off work to come here to do this. I see how hard it is but we are here to help."
Lynn said "We need a new roof. It is gone and all the drywall and the kitchen area is done. She lost furniture. She needs electrical work. And the windows, all the windows are gone."
Mulkey turns 92 on August 8th and says it would a wonderful birthday gift if she could be back in her home by her upcoming birthday.