Bill Graham / The Meridian StarBrenda Burton's home in Meridian was severely damaged in a fire earlier this week.

The Burton family returned home to their house on 39th Court East in Meridian around 8:30 p.m. Sunday and Brenda Burton got her children, ages 6, 10 and 19, ready for bed.

Hours later, when she woke up just after 4 a.m., she knew something was wrong.

“All I know is that I heard my daughter screaming,” Burton said. “And I thought someone was breaking into the house because we heard something breaking.”

When she opened the door into the hallway, Burton saw smoke and felt the intense heat.

“I went back and I told my husband that the house was on fire,” Burton said. 

The Burtons quickly tried to break their bedroom windows to escape, since the smoke made the hallway impassible. After their children joined them, the oldest daughter, Keiunna Nash, 19,  was hurt when she tried to break a window in her bedroom. 

“From breaking the glass to get out she got cut on both arms and got stitches,” Burton said. “She was bleeding real bad.”

Once she was outside, Burton asked her neighbors to call 911. 

Four fire engines from the Meridian Fire Department arrived at the home, finding significant damage to the house. 

Jason Collier, the Meridian fire marshal, said the cause of the fire was accidental.

“It had something to do with the wiring,” Collier said. “There was nothing they could have done.”

On a snowy Friday morning, Burton stood in front of the home with her family. From the outside, the house looks relatively intact. There’s caution tape and a few burn marks around the doors.

But the brick exterior hides a home with scorched furniture and broken glass.

Burton said some clothing from her room and one of daughter’s room was salvageable, having been saved by a dresser and shut door, but they needed to wash it repeatedly to get the smoke smell out. 

“We lost everything,” Burton said. “Everything in the living room, the kitchen…. Everything.”

Burton attends the Agape Storehouse Church, which will accept donations on her behalf, while her family lives at a Days Inn in Meridian.  The church is located at 4603 MS-39, Meridian, MS 39301. Phone: (601) 485-2870.

Her son, Deon, wears size 4T clothing and her 10-year-old daughter, Jaleslie, wears size 10-12 clothing. Keiunna, the oldest, wears a size 9 in pants and large t-shirts. Burton wears small t-shirts and size 5 pants, while her husband Deon, wears size 2XL shirts and size 34 pants. 

Burton has a special request for donations, considering her upcoming state board exam for a cosmetology license. She lost all of her supplies in the fire and will need curling irons, flat irons, other materials to complete her upcoming exam.