RUSSELL SPRINGS — It started when they were at church. It was a fire that was not going to stop. First it consumed the bedroom in the basement.

Firefighters thought they had it doused in that room downstairs Sunday afternoon, with only minor smoke damage to the rest of the home.

Homeowner Jason Rexroat said he, his wife Jennet, and their two children were settling in at a family member's house next door, putting the young ones to bed.

Then another neighbor called to say he should check the house. It was about 10:30 that night when he opened the back door to their home on Bluebird Drive, and the flames came out.

The Russell Springs Fire Department returned and attacked the fire that had spread into the main floor of the brick home.

Fire Chief H.M. Bottom said the fire was electrical in origin and shorts in the wiring had spread it through the basement ceiling.

It was in the walls, and then in the roof soon, and firefighters battled the blaze until about 3 a.m., when they thought it was finally knocked down, but by 6 a.m. they'd been called out again, and someone from the department remained at the site for the rest of the morning killing the last of the flames.

In the end the remains of the house was in the basement, and all the family had were some baby pictures and a change of clothes.

Rexroat said his wife had retrieved the photos as soon as the fire was out the first time, but they had gone next door to get the children settled in order for them to go to school in the morning.

Gone are the rest of the things that a family of four gathers about themselves.

Donations can be dropped at the FD or at the Reese residence next door.