MOULTRIE, Ga. — 42 years. That’s how long 73-year-old Brenda Smith has lived at her Funston residence, 114 S. Academy St.

Until the evening of Sunday, Dec 18, when fire destroyed her longtime home.

Smith and her two preteen granddaughters were living at the house the night of the fire. One of her granddaughters went into the kitchen to cook dinner when she saw the kitchen in flames.

“She went in there and yelled, ‘You need to get out of the house!’ I said, ‘What, why what?’ When I went into the kitchen, the stove was on fire, but the power light was off. The flames were very high and the kitchen was black with smoke,” Smith told The Observer Wednesday.

She had recently replaced her gas stove with a new glass-top electric stove.

“It’s really hard [with] the nightmares and [thinking of] the things you could’ve done or should have done. Just the sensation of it, it’s just [a lot],” she recalled.

Funston Volunteer Fire Department reported to the scene to extinguish the fire, according to Smith.

She said the City of Funston and other community members have been very helpful during her transition. She is currently living with her older grandchild but is looking to raise money for an apartment. Her pre-teen grandchildren, who Smith has raised since they were 2 years old, are living in separate residence.

“I wish I could still live in it, but it’s nothing there,” Smith said.

The City of Funston is accepting any monetary donations in the form of cash, check or gift cards on Smith’s behalf. All checks should be made out to Brenda Smith and delivered to the City of Funston, 115 W Mulberry St. or P.O. Box 209.

Funston City Clerk Liz Chapman said there is no deadline for donations due to wanting to ensure Smith is within normal living arrangements. They have collected approximately $800 as of Tuesday afternoon.

Smith thanked those who have already donated and reached out beyond their needs to help her, especially during the holiday season.