EUNICE, La. — A weekend fire quickly destroyed four homes in Eunice this weekend.

For four hours, firefighters fought the fire that devoured the Eunice homes. All that while the Richard family watched and wondered what will become of their lives now.

“Horrible to see your life going,” recalled Anthony Richard. A once welcome sight, now piles of debris.

The Richards remember every detail. At 3:15 A.M. Saturday morning they woke up to banging on their door. “Momma, fire fire! Get out! Get out! Fire fire!” Lorie Richard said her daughter yelled.

The fire destroyed countless memories inside each home.
“I just started hollering names. Tell me if you’re here. Tell me if you’re here, and we just collapsed to the ground,” Lorie Richard said.

“I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy,” Anthony Richard told News 10. “It’s the most horrible feeling you ever feel. You watch your life just go. Everything you work for is gone in a few minutes.”

Richard’s family lived in two of the destroyed homes. 
“What do we do? Where do we go? How do we start over? At our age how do we start over?” Lorie Richard said.

The fire started in their daughter’s home. She’s was in the hospital Sunday after breathing in smoke and losing her insulin.

Anthony’s and Lorie’s grandchildren are taking it particularly bad. Not only did they lose their, bikes, toys, games, clothes, etc. but Bubba Sanchez said his dog did not make it. One pet returned after the fire, but some have not yet been found in or outside of the rubble. 

With nearly everything burned, they’re holding tight to who they have left.

“I thank God that we all safe we all made it,” said Lorie Richard said. “Materials can be replaced. Life cannot.”

The Richards say they’ve seen extreme generosity from the Eunice community since the fire took out their homes.

If you’d like to help these families, you can reach out to Lorie Richard. Her phone number is (337) 550-4892.