Monica Matos:
CLASS OF 1996
Kern Valley High SchoolClass of 1996
Lake isabella, CA
Humboldt State UniversityClass of 2000
Arcata, CA
South Fork Elementary SchoolClass of 1992
Weldon, CA
Monica's Story
I have been living in Florida since 2001
I currently teach Kindergarten. I love teaching. I have recently moved to a little town called Callahan. My husband, adopted son and I bought an old farm. It has about 11 acres and pleantly of room for animals. Raising animals is my passion. We have two ponds. The front pond is stocked with catfish and that back pond has a variety of fish. My husband likes to go out there at dusk and shoot the water moccasins.
We live a pretty normal life. Our priorities include faith, family and friends. I am still going to school trying to finish my masters. My husband retired from the Navy and now works as an engineer for a aeronautical company in Jacksonville. He works hard.
My family and I have been thru a lot these last few months as you can read a little from the local paper.
Firefighters Rescued from House Fire in Callahan
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By Kyle Meenan
First Coast News
CALLAHAN, FL -- A Nassau County firefighter is being treated for 2nd and 3rd degree burns after being trapped under a pile of burning debris in a house fire Wednesday afternoon.
The four bedroom home on the 22000 block of Fortress Lane was destroyed.
When the fire started, a grandfather with his grandson were the only ones in the home. They escaped safely.
The firefighter was trapped briefly in the home's garage when the ceiling caved in from all the weight of items stored in the attic space above.
According to Nassau County Fire Chief Chuck Cooper the injuries were not life threatening.
The first call came in at 10:48 a.m. and a second alarm was issued a short time later.
Damage could exceed $500,000.
Because the home is located so far out in the country, there are no hydrants.
Tankers had to fill up several miles away, then bring the water to the scene to dump it into a makeshift pool to be pumped to the hoses.
Investigators from the State Fire Marshals Office arrived at 2 p.m. to begin the search for a cause.
Jacksonville Fire & Rescue provided mutual aid to the scene.
Watch First Coast News beginning at 5 p.m. for the very latest.
Created: 11/21/2007 1:51:20 PM
Updated: 11/22/2007 10:48:00 AM
Edited by Gary Detman, Nightside EP
© 2008 First Coast News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed
Fire damages home, but not newly-formed family's spirit
By Amanda Bis...Expand for more
hop
NCR Reporter Wednesday, November 21, 2007 4:41 PM EST
Two firefighters were injured and the Hemming family lost their Hilliard home to fire Wednesday morning.
Shortly after 11 a.m., 9-year-old Kevin and his grandfather, Ollie Hemming, were sitting outside the home at 22600 Fortress Lane, watching the family's horse, Pye, graze nearby. Kevin went inside the home, and grew curious when he smelled smoke.
"When I went into mom's bathroom, I listened because I knew that it's good to figure things out once in a while," he said, adding that the smoke alarms began to sound just moments later. "When that smoke alarm came on, I was scared. I ran as quick as I can out of the room and out the front door."
Stopping to warn his grandfather, Kevin ran to Melrose Sikes' home. Meanwhile, Ollie, who is visiting from Minnesota with his wife, Ursula, returned to the home and grabbed his wife's suitcase and his briefcase.
Neighbors helped move Pye and four family dogs to safety. Two cats and two fish were inside the home. Kevin said he realizes his fish are gone, but hopes his cats, Urs and Shyla May, escaped safely.
Nassau County Fire-Rescue crews from nearly every station responded, along with crews and tankers from several volunteer fire stations. Jacksonville Fire-Rescue units from stations 24, 33 and 34 provided back-up within the county while crews battled the Fortress Lane blaze.
As crews battled the fire, which was dying down, two NCFR firefighters were trapped inside a garage attached to the home. While no official report was available Wednesday afternoon, it appeared that the two were stuck underneath the garage door of the home and that a portion of the roof may have collapsed.
While some NCFR fire personnel remained focused on the remaining flames, most of the personnel worked together to extract the two firefighters. One was given an oxygen mask and walked to a nearby rescue unit while the other was treated on the ground, then placed in the rear of a rescue unit until Life Flight arrived to transport him to a local hospital. The firefighters' names and conditions were not available at press time.
The homeowners, Monica and Gust Hemming, were not home at the time of the fire. Monica had gone to the store for Thanksgiving dinner supplies, and Gust was at work.
The American Red Cross offered assistance to the family. Monica said the home was insured, and she was unsure where the family would have Thanksgiving, but added that she's thankful for the safety of her family
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