Fire destroys dad and daughter’s Caulfield home

Caulfield resident John Wells and his 9-year-old daughter, Ellie, were coming home after a visit to Wells’ parents, Billy and Kelly Wells, Wednesday evening, Dec. 12, when they noticed the glow of a fire lighting up the night sky. “At first I thought the neighbors had a brush fire,” Wells told the Times Monday. “But we got closer, and we could see it was our house. Three people were there, a girl and two guys – I don’t know their names. They had called 911. The girl took Ellie aside, and the guys and I started pushing things out of the carport.”

The men managed to save a four-wheeler, a three-wheeler and a dirt bike from the carport, along with some tools that were in a nearby shed. But almost everything else was lost as the frame house was destroyed in the blaze, leaving only the exterior shell and an interior filled with ashes and rubble. 

Because Wells and his daughter live just over the line in Howell County off YY Highway east of Highway 101, the fire isn’t included in this week’s Ozark County Sheriff report (page A7). Caulfield Volunteer Fire Department responded, with mutual aid from Bakersfield, Tecumseh and Howell County Rural VFDs, South Howell County Ambulance, Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative and the American Red Cross.

Wells said Caulfield VFD chief Shannon Sisney told him he believes the fire had an electrical cause and that it probably started in Ellie’s bedroom, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what sparked the blaze. 

“She had a Play Station and a TV, and she had a hoverboard, but he said it didn’t start with the hoverboard,” Wells said. 

Ironically, Wells works throughout the area for Little Rock-based Reliable Fire Protection Company, installing sprinkler systems in buildings. The house was insured, he said. For now, he and Ellie, a fourth grader at South Fork Elementary School, are staying with his parents. 

It’s a second heartbreaking Christmastime blow for the girl, whose mother, Samantha Beach, died of organ failure on Christmas Day in 2015. Ellie’s school is collecting items to help her and her dad. “They’re taking in donations and gift cards and clothing for her,” Wells said, adding that Ellie wears a girls size 10-12 in shirts, a size 8 in jeans and youth size 1 shoes. He said he has enough clothes for himself to get by.

Wells said that, despite the loss, he and Ellis are “doing OK.” He’s been overwhelmed by the offers of help that have come pouring in. “Literally hundreds of people are calling and texting and donating clothing, gift cards, money, everything you could possibly imagine. It’s been almost overwhelming,” he said.

Their Christmas tree burned up in the fire, along with the presents beneath it that Ellie had bought for her dad, grandparents and other relatives and friends. “Luckily, I’m a procrastinator, and I’d only bought a few gifts,” Wells said.

Miraculously, his great-grandmother’s quilts, tucked away in a cedar chest, survived the blaze. “I guess my clothes fell on the chest, and somehow that saved the quilts.” He also had a fireproof safe in the detached shed that survived the fire. “All our pictures are on SIM cards that were in that fireproof safe. We lost a lot of pictures in the house, but they’re all on those SIM cards, so I’m really glad for that,” he said. 

With the fire starting in Ellie’s bedroom, he shudders to think what might have happened if they had been home and asleep when it started. “It could have happened in the night,” he said, his words trailing off.

At 11 p.m. on Dec. 12, Wells posted this message on his Facebook page: “I just want to let everyone know me and Ellie are OK. Our house is gone but nobody was hurt. I want to thank all the fire departments that came out to help. We appreciate you all very much. Also to all my friends and family that stopped to help and have called and texted, we love you all and really appreciate it.”