MARKED TREE, Ark. – – Tragedy struck a family with six children Saturday when a fire destroyed their home. It happened in the middle of the night when Iresha Wilkins woke up to an alarming noise in her bedroom on Hines Circle in Marked Tree, Arkansas.
“It was like something was popping like pop rocks,” Wilkins said.
She says sparks were flying from the charger to a toy race car she bought as a Christmas gift for her kids.
“Within minutes, within my eyes, it set the whole room on fire,” Wilkins said.
Wilkins says she rushed her children out of the house as the fire spread. No one was hurt but just about all of her family’s belongings were destroyed. She and her husband were testing that toy car and plugged it into the wall before going to bed.
“We was trying to do right by the kids for Christmas and buy them what they wanted and now, they don’t have nothing,” Wilkins said.
But as it turns out they have more than they thought, like the kindness and compassion of complete strangers including a police officer who came by the home after he heard what happened.
“And he was like what do you need? I was like I need Pampers,” Wilkins said, “He was like don’t worry about it. Let’s go to the store and I’m going to get you everything you need and he got Pampers for the kids, wipes for the kids, bottles, everything.”
WREG tried to get in touch with that officer but based on conversations with the police and fire departments, it would appear he prefers to remain an anonymous good samaritan.
The Marked Tree Housing Authority is providing the family with a temporary place to stay and the fire department gave Wilkins $500 Tuesday night.
“Just to help her out with the kids and help her get through this tough time,” Chief Jamie McCrary said.
Wilkins says the Red Cross is also providing some clothes and other supplies for her children.