Mom loses home in Smithwick blaze

October 29, 2012, 9:00 pm by Alexandria Randolph

Marcia Blayney plans to rebuild her hand built home on Helens Rd. following a devastating fire on Sunday.

A structure fire at 312 Helens Rd. in Smithwick, about eight miles east of Marble Falls on FM 1431, left a three story, hand-built home in ruins Sunday.

No one was hurt but two cats and a dog are still missing, authorities said. The remains of a potbelly pig were found on the grounds.

The homeowner, Marcia Blayney, was visiting her daughter Arwen Lietz in Austin during the time of the fire, but her son Billy Blayney returned from his trip to Tulsa, Okla., to find his childhood home in ruins.

"This is something (my mother) built her whole life around,” he said, looking at the crumpled ruins of a house that his mother had built by hand. "I put the roof on for her when I was in the seventh grade.”

Mike Phillips, Assistant Chief for the Marble Falls Volunteer Fire Department said that the first call was made for the fire at around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Units from the Bertram, Cottonwood Shores, Granite Shoals and Marble Falls Fire Departments also responded.

For the full story, see Tuesday's Highlander.