Black smoke cascaded through the air in Shubuta on Easter Sunday as one of the historic homes in the city was fully engulfed in raging flames.
For homeowner Jerry Mason, the day started out as just another ordinary day.
“Sunday, I got up like I normally do on Sundays and was playing with my dogs. We went outside and goofed around out there. I let my two little yorkies run around a little. I decided I wanted to go riding on the golf cart a little and went to see if it was charged up, and it was,” recalled Jerry. “I had a little scooter I had gotten from somebody, and I was gonna hook it up because I already rode it and rode it until the battery was dead. I hooked it up on the charger, and I had it close to the house. I decided I needed to go cut grass out in the country because it was a day I could get it done. I have some property in the country from my grandfather’s old homestead, and I’m keeping it in the family. I went out there to cut it and then came back. Then, I usually maintain the grass where the old jail is in Shubuta and the property next to it. I went to cut that since it’s downtown, and it just looks better being cut.”
It was when he finished cutting grass that everything took a turn for the worse for him.
“When I finished cutting at the old jail, I was loading the lawn mower and looked and saw smoke. It started out as white smoke, and then I saw a black column. I knew that was a house because black smoke means bad,” continued Jerry. “I rushed down there, and it was my house. I got there, and the flames were going up the sides and just in one area on the front of the house, and that’s where the living room area is. I rushed over and opened the door, and I started hollering for my babies, my dogs. Three of them rushed out. Bella, Annabelle, and Bubba all ran out, but Beau didn’t come. The smoke was starting to get to me because once I opened the door, the air was feeding the flames. There was already black smoke at the top, and I couldn’t find Beau. I knew where he probably was, but there were flames there already. It was where the couch was because he’d always go behind the couch and sit there, but I couldn't get him out. I found his body later on and buried him right then in our little pet cemetery that I have. The house burned down completely. The house was built around 1905 by the Dabbs family, so it was an old house with tongue groove beaded wood and 12 foot ceilings. I loved that house because I loved the old house look, and it was good. There was no insulation in the walls, and the whole thing was made out of that good, fat lighter pine. When it caught fire, it was gone. Of course, Desoto Fire Department showed up and then Carmichael, and then a few of the others showed up. They were able to keep my neighbor’s yard from catching fire. I was more worried about his house because his house was built around the same time as mine was. They fought that and kept it going until the house was able to burn down. I lost everything.”
The home had been in his family since his grandparents purchased it in 1964, and he lost more than just a roof over his head when it burned down. He lost things with sentimental value that can never be replaced.
“It’s hard to realize what you have until you lose it in a fire,” expressed Jerry. “I lost the pictures of my kids when they were growing up, their graduation pictures, pictures I had of my great grandfather and of my grandfather back in the 1920s, and pictures of my deceased son. I had a nice picture that somebody had drawn for me back when my son died in a house fire in 2005. That picture was always right there above my chair where I sat. I was a vivid collector of different antiques, not furniture, but just old stuff. If it was an antique that had anything to do with Shubuta and its history, I wanted it. I had a cast iron collection. It was home, and it was hard to see all of it burned up. I lost all my military records and uniforms and awards over the years. I lost an old book collection. I know it’s material things, but it had sentimental value. What hurt the most was losing a pet to the fire and knowing I couldn’t get him. You can always rebuild, but I’ll never get Beau back, and that’s something I have to deal with.”
The only things he was able to save were some important documents and a coin collection that was kept in a fire proof safe that he had purchased years ago.
He does know the cause of the fire.
“It’s my fault that the house burned down,” informed Jerry. “I was charging the scooter that I wanted to ride, and it had lithium batteries in it. I had it too close to the house, and it caught on fire. At about 10:50, my security camera outside caught orange flames coming up and then the black smoke from the batteries and it going right up beside the house. It’s nobody else’s fault but mine.”
Since it happened, he has felt blessed and cared for by the people in the community and in Clarke County for their willingness to help him.
“People were out there hugging and loving on me when everything was happening trying to make sure I was okay,” declared Jerry. “My friends, and people who aren’t even my friends, are coming up to me and asking what they can do for me to help. I do have a special thanks for Elizabeth Hines because she opened her house across the street for me and my dogs to stay. All these years, I’ve cut her grass for free just to help her out, and now she’s helping me when I need it. That’s just how things are in Clarke County. We help each other and take care of each other.”
Different people in the community have supplied him with clothes. Now, his main concern is getting the money he needs to be able to have a home of his own again. He’s humble and knows that he can still live on his income, but it will take a good bit of money for him to be able to get fully on his feet again.
“I plan on rebuilding in Shubuta or at least staying somewhere in Shubuta. I love history and know the history of Shubuta. I love Shubuta, and I want to stay in Shubuta. Shubuta is home to me,” proclaimed Jerry. “It’s going to take a lot of money for me to get back and be able to rebuild in Shubuta, and eventually I’ll get settled back in so me and my dogs can have a place that we call our own again instead of having to stay at other people’s places. I’m going to end up having a garage sale for the stuff that is in my garage that I know I don’t need anymore so that I can raise some money to get things going. It just takes money and time. Nobody has to give to me for me to keep living because I do have my income from social security and the military, but I’m gonna have to use a lot of money to get back and start again, whereas before I owned a home and didn’t have to pay rent or a mortgage. Now, I’m going to have to face that. Right now, I’m just trying to find somewhere to live that’s affordable and I won’t have to throw a lot of money into to fix up.”
His children have started up a gofundme page to try and raise funds to ease some of the financial burden as he rebuilds his life from the ground up and finds a new home.
Anyone who would like to make a donation can do so at https://gofund.me/531465f5b. There is also an account for Jerry Mason at the BankPlus in Quitman that people can deposit into.
