Cunninghams overwhelmed by offers of help

As Lee Roy and Elizabeth Cunningham rebuild their lives following a fire which destroyed their North Main Street home and floral business early Monday, they say one thing stands out: The generosity of their fellow Bedford Countians.

"You know how many friends you've got when something like this happens," Lee Roy said. "People have offered everything we need. They're coming in constantly. We had a lot and we've still got more than we need.

"We're doing all right. We're surviving. We're taking it one day at a time."

People were still arriving with offers of items ranging from food to Bibles on Thursday at the office of Bedford Motors, next door to the burned-out home. Holding up two donated Bibles, Elizabeth suggested they be donated to someone who doesn't already own one.

The Cunninghams narrowly escaped with their lives Monday when the fire broke out about 5 a.m.

The fire originated in a first-floor storage area of the home behind a refrigerator, Elizabeth said Thursday. The storage area was underneath a second-story bedroom.

Lee Roy said he was awakened by smoke.

"I woke up and smelled smoke, laid in bed a few moments and kept sniffing and smelled something burning," he said.

He said he woke Elizabeth and they looked toward the back of the 100-year-old home, saw flames and escaped.

"I had everything up to codes. All the smoke alarms were going off and we had fire extinguishers," Elizabeth said, emphasizing the home and business were regularly inspected by Shelbyville Fire Department inspector Brian Nicholson.

"I tried to use the phone and it wouldn't work," she said. A passerby first called in the fire, she said.

The next 30 minutes following their escape were spent moving, and attempting to move, vehicles from the area around the home, Lee Roy said.

"I was running around barefooted in 7-degree weather," he said. The Cunninghams' daughter, Tammy Wilson, said her father suffered cuts and bruises to his feet during the ordeal.

The fire was still smoking Thursday. "It's still smouldering -- it was blazing Wednesday night," Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth said she hasn't decided yet if Celebration Center, which sold flowers and decorated cakes, will reopen.

"I appreciate my customers," she said. "I heard from so many of them. So many have been by to see me. The offers to help we've had have been tremendous...unbelievable. Lynne Moore offered to let me run my business out of her house...That's friendship."

Celebration Center, opened in 1981, was the longest-operated flower shop under the same ownership and name and the second-oldest shop in Shelbyville, Elizabeth said. The business provided floral horseshoes for the Celebration and also offered decorated cakes.

Elizabeth also pointed out the need to keep personal and business records in safe places. Many were lost in the fire while others were recovered from a fireproof safe.

Family members expressed their appreciation for the Shelbyville Fire Department's efforts, noting all active city firefighters were on the scene Monday and spent many hours in cold weather fighting the blaze.

"We all appreciate the outpouring of help and prayers from all the community. There have been so many we will never be able to thank each individual, but we want them to know it is greatly appreciated," Wilson said.