Family displaced by Savannah house fire shares gratitude for community support

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A family of 10 is rebuilding after a fire tore through their Savannah home Saturday morning.

Andrea Glover and Mario Geeter, siblings who moved into the home as children, said they are relying on their faith and their community to get through the days.

“First and foremost I want to thank God, cause he got my family up out of there,” Andrea Glover said.

Family members were watching a movie when a fire began in their backyard. Andrea Glover’s mother was the first to notice the smoke billowing. The family woke up the children and evacuated the house.

Andrea Glover said within minutes, her childhood home was gone.

The family’s dog, Queen, was killed in the fire. Andrea Glover said after realizing Queen had not made it out, she ran back inside.

“Queen was, she followed me foot to foot, she was my shadow, so I went back in for my shadow, I went to the back I could not hear her, I kept calling her she would not come,” Andrea Glover said.

Mario Geeter was not home when the fire broke out. When he got the call, he could not believe it.

“I thought they were pranking me at first, I thought they were trying to play a joke. I was like, ‘What are you talking about,’” Mario Geeter said. “I found out it wasn’t a prank when I saw all the lights and all that stuff out there.”

Savannah Fire Department responded to the scene and put out the fire in less than 30 minutes.

The siblings said faith, family and community have been getting them through the past few days. They said they are grateful for the first responders who put out the flames.

Neighbors took the young children into their homes to keep them away from the fire. Coworkers, friends and strangers have brought clothes, food and supplies.

“I just want to thank Savannah, the Savannah community,” Andrea Glover said.

“The community really came like, really showed me how quickly we could come together in a tragedy,” Mario Geeter said.

The family has been staying at local hotels as they search for permanent housing. The family has launched a GoFundMe. Andrea Glover said the money will go toward stable housing, formula for the youngest children, clothing and food.