Hilltop Lakes community comes together to support EMT after house fire

HILLTOP LAKES, Texas (KBTX) – A house fire over the weekend has brought the community of Hilltop Lakes together to help the people who lived there get back on their feet.

The fire happened on Saturday and the cause is still being investigated. Hilltop Lakes Volunteer Fire Department said when they arrived a garage on the property was engulfed along with a car. It was quickly extinguished, however, the fire spread to the attic.

An aggressive interior attack on the home and attic by the Volunteer Fire Department helped contain the fire in two rooms so that it could be extinguished, but the fire left behind a massively damaged home.

“It’s going to be some major, major repairs not only did the house receive fire damage, but obviously any structure fire is going to receive a fair amount of water damage as well so you’re looking at half the house being that way so it’s going to be a very costly repair,” said Hilltop Lakes Volunteer firefighter Dustan Green.

Hilltop Lakes EMT Jennifer Travis lived in the home with her kids and roommate. She has been with Hilltop Lake EMS for 6 years and worked for Jewett EMS for the last 10 years.

“Jennifer is really great she’s my partner been my partner for several years and we work great together we enjoy working together and she’s really a good EMT,” said Hilltop Lakes EMS Director Dennis Smith.

Smith said the situation was devastating and felt throughout the department.

“When it’s one of your own it’s a whole different thing, we’re used to seeing things like this happen to other people, but when it’s one of your own it really hits you hard,” Smith said.

A GoFundMe page has been created by Jennifer’s friend and co-worker, Amy Hall who said she was looking for the best way to help out a person who gives the shirt off her back to those in need.

“I want to do anything I can to help Jennifer and this was the easiest way that we knew we could get the word out there because Hilltop is a very tight-knit community,” Hall said. “When there’s a tragedy Hilltop Lakes will always come together.”

Hall said Jennifer has always worked two full-time jobs to support her family, but her position at Jewett EMS recently became part-time after Jewett EMS lost a contract with the city of Buffalo. Despite the difficult time, Hall said Jennifer has yet to stop and focus on herself.

“It wasn’t about the fact that she lost everything, it wasn’t the fact that they lost a home, a vehicle, it was what her grandbabies had in her garage that bothered her last night when I talked to her. The fact that all her grandbabies riding toys was in that garage broke her heart. She went ahead and bought Christmas presents for her kids and grandkids and that was all lost in that fire.”

Hilltop Lakes Fire Department is also lending a helping hand along with the rest of the community which has shown up to provide cash and clothing.

“A gentleman showed up this morning with cash to help out all the incidental costs that she’s going to have,” Vice President of the Board of Directors for Hilltop Lakes VFD and EMS, Mike Sizemore said. “She’s one of our best, she’s a selfless public servant her house burns down on Saturday, and on Sunday she left for additional training to be a paramedic. She’s one of our EMTs, we love her the community is trying to rally around her.”

A link to the GoFundMe page can be found here.