MACON, Ga. — A fire took away more than just four walls to call home for the Grover family. They're also mourning the memories made and the irreplaceable items that remind them of their mother.
Their home in the Pleasant Hill Neighborhood was engulfed in flames Monday night. Julius Grover got the call when he was on his way home from work.
"All I could think was where are my kids," Grover said.
One of them was in the bathroom when smoke alarms went off.
"My eight-year-old was in the tub the bath is till filled with his bath water," Grover said.
Grover said four of his kids, ages 6 to 15, were inside the house when the fire started. He said his youngest was going through some things and found a lighter.
"Lit something on fire and as a six year old would saw fire and just walked away, he didn't know what to do," Grover said.
The fire destroyed the back of the house which was the bedroom of Grover's six and eight-year-old. Grover said it was supposed to be an ordinary Monday, but it wasn't.
"It felt unreal like there's no way this could happen right now like yesterday was my first day returning to work since my wife passed," Grover said.
Julius and Michele Williams Grover were married for 15 years. She died from health complications. Since it's just him, Grover said he's trying his best to be there for his kids.
"You gotta put your emotions in storage for now because they need me to be strong so gotta be strong," Grover said.
Grover said he couldn't send his kids to school even if he wanted to.
"They have nothing! The school uniform, clothes, shoes, toys, beds, it's gone. I couldn't send them to school in pajamas. They literally had what they had on their backs," Grover said.
If you'd like to help the Grover family get back on their feet you can make donations to the Mentor's Project of Bibb County. You can reach them at 478-954-4346.
If you'd like to donate clothes, these are the sizes for the Grover children.
First Grader at Williams Elementary School
Clothes: 7/8
Shoes: 13 1/2
Seventh Grader at Miller Middle School
Shirts: 12
Pants: 14/16
Shoes: 7.5
Ninth Grader at Central High School
Shirt: 2XL
Pants: 38
Shoes: 12