Community rallies behind Rowan Co. couple who lost home, two dogs in Valentine’s Day fire

ROWAN COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - A Morehead couple has lost their home after a fire on Valentine’s Day.

Chloe Hart and Bradley Grove’s home on Circle Drive in the Lakeview Heights subdivision burned down on February 14. A neighbor spotted the fire, but by then, it was too late.

In the days since, and even as crews fought the fire, the community rallied behind the couple.

“At first you don’t believe it,” said Chloe Hart. “You think it’s somebody really close to you or the next person’s house. Just disbelief. I don’t think I fully believed it was my house until I saw it.”

Chloe says she got a call while at work she called her husband, who was an hour away in Georgetown.

“When something like that happens, I mean I’ve never felt anything like that. You’re just numb,” Bradley said. “I had to keep looking at the steering wheel to make sure my hands were still on the wheel.”

As they watched their home burn, Chloe says she was overwhelmed by both grief and gratitude.

“Churches that I don’t know anybody from are giving up prayer requests,” Chloe said. “The house was still on fire, and people were dropping off clothes. It was just really heartwarming.”

The support hasn’t ended there. A GoFundMe started by Chloe’s sister has raised more than $15,000. Its goal was $1,000.

“Going into this, you don’t realize the cost of what you have accumulated over the years,” Bradley said. “Simple necessities whenever you’re in a house. You don’t think of the small stuff like a chair.”

Right now, they’re working to figure out what is next. It’s a daunting task to start over, but with unbelievable support, they know they can.

“This has been the most heartbreaking thing I have ever been through, but also the most heartwarming,” said Chloe.

The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined yet, but It is believed to have started in the attic, a space where the U.S. Fire Administration estimates 10,000 house fires a year start.

“One thing that I want to push through with this story is the importance of having a fire alarm in the attic,” said Chloe. “It’s not something we had, it’s not something I had ever heard before. But many fires do start in the attic. Getting that heads up could be the difference between life and death.”

Sadly, the couple lost their two dogs in the fire.

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