14-year-old rescues animals from barn fire

CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. — “We’re going to be okay. We’re going to be okay,” Brittany Phillips ensured her mother, Michelle Phillips, as they hugged and cried near a smoldering heap of rubble on Powell Chapel Road in Villa Rica.

The smoking mass served as their home, business and horse barn until an intense fire chewed through the ranch Thursday night.

“We’ve lost everything, and I mean all we have is the clothes on our backs right now, and thank God, our horses,” said Michelle, the owner of Pure Horse Play. The horseback riding business boasted 20 horses, many rescues, until 2-year-old Rambo was killed in the fire.

“We called him Rambo because he was always so rambunctious, and I can’t imagine that he didn’t jump out of that stall,” Michelle told Channel 2’s Rikki Klaus. %

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One of the family’s dogs died, too. The fire broke out around 11 p.m. Michelle’s daughter, Jordyn, discovered it and called 911.

“I had a one track mind,” said the 14-year-old. “I was like I need to get all the animals out, and the lady on the phone was like, ‘No, you need to leave. You need to get out now.’ Well, if the fire hasn’t spread that far yet and I can still make it and get some of them out, I’m going to get my animals out.”

Carroll County Fire Chief Scott Blue is commending the ninth grader for her bravery. Meanwhile, Jordyn’s mom is making a plea to the community.

“I’m just saying, guys, come help us. Because trust me, we are going to help the community,” said Michelle.

Many of her clients have hardships and come to Pure Horse Play to ride and heal.

Michelle told Klaus she does not have renters insurance, and the owner of the building doesn't have insurance, either. She's asking for help in any form on her GoFundMe page.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Cox Media Group