TYLER, Texas — The owners of Tyler Thrift, a store known for giving back to the community, suffered a total loss after a fire burned down their home in Winona last week.
"I literally thought that I'd woke up in hell," Dallas Browning, co-owner of the store said.
The couple woke up to their house fully engulfed in flames, and they lived to tell the tale.
"Everything was completely red, completely filled with smoke," he said. "I mean, I legit thought, 'dang, I did something wrong. I did something really wrong.'"
Browning and Kayla Ivey rented the property for about two years. They were saving up money and gearing up to finally get married on the land in two weeks.
"As far as the inferno goes, we were in the epicenter. She randomly woke up screaming at me and by the time I came to realize what was happening, she's out the door down the hallway, getting our kid out of the room," Browning said.
They never expected to live through this nightmare.
"I would say that we were so close to not making it out of that house," said Kayla Ivey.
Regarding the cause of the fire, the Smith County Fire Marshal's Office says it is undetermined.
"So thank God, it's all I can do every second of every day, and I don't care if that's an unpopular opinion, it's the facts that that's who saved us that night," Browning said.
Just days away from their wedding, the couple is now picking up the pieces, trying to salvage anything they can from the rubble.
"You can lose everything as long as you have a community to help you build it back up," Ivey said.
Ivey owns and operates the thrift shop. She opened the store about two years ago and prides herself in their low prices and pay it forward program.
Although they lost their belongings they are just thankful to continue to serve others in the community.
If you'd like to help the couple rebuild after their tragic house fire, consider making a donation to their Go Fund Me page.
