Gulfport residents lose everything in Milton fire

GULFPORT, Fla. – A Gulfport resident says she lost everything when her home caught fire from a power line as Hurricane Milton struck on Oct. 9.

She was out of town at the time but said her cat, Betty White, died in the fire.

“We left before we even knew a hurricane was brewing,” said Davida Wheeler, 47. “What was supposed to be a romantic weekend ended with both of us losing our home, his job and temporarily my job and my cat .”

Wheeler said she only had a lightly packed duffel bag with her at the time, the contents of which have since become her only possession. Her neighbor, Steven Johnson, 72, a retired Marine veteran, said he saw sparks on the power line.

“I saw a flash in the window. I went back and looked and there was an arch back there. Big bows,” he said. “I can see the sparks that ran down the power line and the big lightning bolt that was on the ground. You could see it popping and sparks flying.”

Gulfport Fire Rescue Chief Rene Fernandez said the first 911 call about the house fire came in at 7:49 p.m. and firefighters were unable to respond because Milton was causing wind gusts of more than 50 miles per hour. Johnson shot video of the fire and feared it would spread to his home.

“I watched it all night long and felt the heat in the kitchen,” he said. “The back door is a metal door and it wasn’t hot yet, but the window, the glass, was warm.”

Wheeler said she asked a friend to evacuate her two cats, but she was only able to catch one of them. The remaining cat, a year-old cat named Betty White, died in the fire.

“I just fell in love with this kitten, but she was hot because she was wild,” she said. “They tried their best to catch her and she was trapped in the house.”

Johnson said he knew Wheeler was out of town, had cats and was considering punching a hole in the house, but he was worried about his safety because the power line was in the water.

“There was nothing I could really do. I have a 4×4 in the back,” he said. “If the water had been safe, I could have poked a hole in the window and given him an escape route.”

Wheeler is a massage therapist who works at a spa in Tierra Verde and also practices from home.

“Right in the back corner was massage therapy slash in my guest room, and that was a huge hit for my personal cell phone business,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to getting back to work once I’m a little more comfortable.”

The masseuse said she had rented the house for 10 years, lost everything in the fire and was unsure how to rebuild her life.

“I had diaries and books of poetry for 25 years… that doesn’t exist anymore,” she said. “I had my grandmother’s heirloom jewelry and her wedding rings and I haven’t been able to find them yet.”

Wheeler said she regrets not having renter’s insurance and said the only reason she isn’t homeless is the kindness of a stranger.

“There’s this woman. “I won’t say her name because I know she helps not only me but many people in the St. Pete area,” she said. “She’s letting me stay in an Airbnb and giving me some time to get back on my feet.”

The outpouring of support for Wheeler, a self-described Florida orphan, has touched her heart and she created a GoFundMe page with a $10,000 goal to help her find more permanent housing in January.

“I am so grateful for every person, every stranger, every friend who sent something or helped clean, made a donation or dropped off clothes or even cat food,” she said. “I’m so grateful for every bit of it. Thank you.”

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