A 19-year-old South Point resident and her 2-year-old son are left alone to pick up the pieces of their lives after a Wednesday evening fire destroyed their home and all their possessions.

Friday, October 29, 1999

A 19-year-old South Point resident and her 2-year-old son are left alone to pick up the pieces of their lives after a Wednesday evening fire destroyed their home and all their possessions.

In the Little Solida Road fire that injured a village volunteer fire fighter and destroyed a mobile home, Cindy Miller and her son lost everything they owned.

Concerned friends and neighbors decided to reach out and help.

A fund – the Cindy Miller Fire Fund – was established Thursday afternoon at Firstar Bank for financial donations for the family of two.

Ms. Miller and her son are staying at the Grandview Inn in South Point for a few days, courtesy of the local Red Cross, officials said.

But, that help will only extend so far. Limited funding and state regulations will have Ms. Miller and her youngster desperately seeking an affordable apartment in the area in a matter of days, the fire fund administrator, who wants to remain anonymous, said.

Ms. Miller, a senior at Collins Career Center, did not have the benefit of fire insurance to protect any of her belongings.

"The fire completely destroyed the trailer," South Point Volunteer Fire Department Chief Richard Stevens said. "When we arrived on the scene, smoke was visible and flames were coming up out of the residence."

During the firefighters’ desperate battle to salvage at least some of Ms. Miller’s belongings, deputy chief William Igo sustained injuries when a water blast came through the home, striking him in the face. The blast knocked off Igo’s helmet, injuring his eyes and forcing him to the ground.

Igo was treated and released at a local hospital emergency room, Stevens said.

Neither Ms. Miller nor her son were in the home while the flames devoured the structure and its contents.

The cause of the fire is still unknown and the investigation is ongoing through the South Point Volunteer Fire Department.

Financial donations to the Cindy Miller Fire Fund can be made at any Firstar Bank location in Lawrence County.