Dog saved former Central Texas police chief, wife from fire that destroyed home

KOSSE, Texas (KWTX) - A former Central Texas police chief and his wife lost everything in a recent house fire and they have their dog to thank that all they lost was their shelter and possessions.

Former Kosse Police Chief Mark Morris was home alone when the fire broke out early Sunday morning. “I heard the dog barking and I went downstairs to see what was going and the back of the house was on fire,” Morris said.

Morris managed to get the dog out safely, but was trapped by the heat and smoke. “I turned around and it was engulfed. I had to break thru a window to try to get out,” the former police chief said. “By the time I got out, the whole house was in flames. It was gone in a matter of minutes.”

Morris suffered second and third degree burns and had cuts that required 35 stitches.

The local volunteer fire department responded, but the family’s home is out in the country near the Falls-Limestone County line. It took the volunteers nearly half an hour to get there.

“They did a fine job, but we’re way out here. By the time they got here all they could really do was dump water on the ashes and try to keep the grass from catching fire and save my tractors,” Morris said.

Morris got out with the family dog and the clothes on his back. “Everything else is gone. We’re starting over from scratch,” he said.

Morris and his wife, Laine, a jail sergeant in Limestone Country, were building the home themselves. As a result, the insurance company did not consider it a finished home and Morris was not able to insure the house or its contents.

“None of it was insured. But I’ve been amazed by the people who have said they want to help. They want to bring us clothes and stuff, but right now, we don’t have anywhere to put it.”

Right now, the Morris’ are staying with Mark’s daughter Heather in Copperas Cove.

Some benefits are in the planning stages. If you would like to donate money to help the Morris’ get back up on their feet, you can make a donation at the Farmers State Bank in Kosse or Groesbeck, Kosse City Hall or the Cefco store in Kosse.

If you have accounts set up, you can also donate on Venmo and PayPal.

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