CUNNINGHAM, Tenn (WTVF) — All that's left of the Flake family home is just the foundation.
The house that once sat burned to the ground. But the family of eight made it out alive, and they say it's because they had a fire safety plan.
Chelsea Flake said a heat lamp on the back porch for the baby chicks got tipped over during the night sending the home up in flames.
Flake says all she and her husband could think about was getting their six boys out safely.
"I saw just straight fire across the porch, it was very, very scary," said 12-year-old Jace.
Younger brother Jaxon remembers the scene as well.
"I woke up, and dad was screaming fire, and I ran up to the front porch and walked out in looked at the front porch and it was a giant flame on the porch."
Flake says she believes a fire safety plan helped get them out alive.
"We have plans in place for everything. So, our fire drill was one that at the time I didn't have my youngest son. I just had the five and so what we taught them is that the older two grabs the youngest two and the middle one just worried about himself getting out the door."
The goal was to get out and run to the pear tree. Flake says this what they did.
"It always was the pear tree. The pear tree is our main focus. And so, we would practice. There were a few times where mom would yell 'fire,' and we did run out the front door to the pear tree and they did pretty good, but they thought I was silly in doing that," Flake said.
This drill became a lifesaver on Aug. 23 when flames shot from the home around 4 a.m.
"Ideally, no we would never want to have to actually implement it, you know, act on it. But we did. And I do think that's what kept our family, all eight of us, together that night."
They may have lost their home, but they walked away with the most valuable possessions — each other.
"Looking back, there are so many blessings I think in it, and being able to have a plan in place for my family," Flake said.
The family does plan to rebuild in the same spot.
And they will continue to practice their fire safety drills.
