Valrico family's home destroyed in fire after power restored in wake of Hurricane Milton
VALRICO, Fla. - A Valrico family is left with nothing after neighbors said their home exploded when the power came back on after Hurricane Milton.
Hannah Lanham and her three young sons have already been through immense loss after her father and her son, 14-year-old Jeremiah's, father passed away in recent years. He had a teddy with his dad’s voice, and Lanham had her father’s urn inside the home, both of which were destroyed.
Monday night, Lanham came home to her house in Valrico, which was engulfed in flames.
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"You watch everything get taken away from you right in front of your face," Lanham said.
She had just learned her power was back on, so she decided to head home. When she opened the front door, she was blasted with smoke. She called 911, but the fire quickly spread, engulfing the entire home.
"That's what's left of the fridge. There was a dishwasher right there. Sink. It's all gone," Lanham said.
She shot a video showing what her kitchen looked like before the hurricane, worried about flood damage. She never expected a fire.
Now, her kitchen is completely charred, and there's nothing left but ash and burnt metal.
"The investigator assumed it started somewhere right here, either in the kitchen area right here or on the patio," Lanham said.
A neighbor who was home at the time told Lanham the same moment her power turned back on she heard an explosion at the home.
"My son was there with me, my baby. I'm just happy to have my children. It's a hard thing to walk away from, but there's a lot more to live for," Lanham said.
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Lanham, who owns her window tinting business, Blue Rayz Window Tint in Brandon, is a single mother to her three boys: Jeremiah, 14, Elias, 6, and Kyler, 2.
"My brothers and my mom are safe, but it's just going to take some getting used to that I don't have a house," Jeremiah Bowe said.
Jeremiah spent Tuesday scouring his burnt bedroom for any salvageable memories of his dad, who passed away when the teen was 6 years old.
"This is my dad's hat. My late dad's hat," Jeremiah said.
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A leather cowboy hat and his picture of his father from elementary school were among the few things that survived the fire. Lanham said the support from her close friends and the kindness from complete strangers is giving her strength to get through.
"People that I don't even know you have reached out, shown love, have sent stuff, dropped off clothes already, food sent money, anything and everything. The little bit, the lot, everything. It all matters when you feel like you have nothing," Lanham said.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue is currently investigating the cause of the fire. Lanham, who rents the home, said the kitchen had electrical repairs done a few months ago, so investigators are looking to see if that at all played a role.
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