Family of 8 displaced by fire in Lincolnton

LINCOLNTON, N.C. — All of the electronics were destroyed. Part of the ceiling was burned away. However, Priscilla Schism believes divine intervention kept the fire from being much worse.

"I think it was God sending me somewhere else," Schism said.

She said she and her 2-year-old twins and 3-year-old son were home Thursday morning.

They all normally sleep until mid-morning, but Thursday, she decided to get up early and go her mother's house. The family left at 8 a.m.

About 10 minutes later, a neighbor noticed smoke coming from the home on Gates Road.

"I sleep really heavy.  If I would have been here, we wouldn't be here.  Me and all the babies would have been gone,” Schism said as she started to cry.

Her husband, Dusty Schism, was at work when a relative called to tell him his home was on fire. It didn't sink in until he saw it.

"Kind of just in shock," Dusty Schism said.

They have six children. The oldest is 14. They lost almost everything.

"That was 10 years’ worth of life in there," Priscilla Schism said.

The fire marshal said the fire started in the hall, but he is not sure yet what caused it.

"We are very fortunate that no one was here, because the house was full of smoke,” Fire Marshal Mike Futrell said.

Help is already coming in for the family.  The Lincolnton Professional Fire Fighters Association is gathering gift cards to help the family replace some of what they lost.

WSOC