LARGO, Fla. — A Largo mother said she is still in shock after a fire tore through her family’s home Wednesday morning, leaving them displaced and searching for a fresh start.
According to the Largo Fire Department, crews responded to a structure fire in Largo that sent two people to the hospital. The home has since been condemned.
WATCH: 'The entire foundation underneath is gone': Largo family loses home in morning fire, forced to start over
THE MORNING OF
For Dayjah Fogleman, the morning started routinely. She said around 7:30 a.m., she and her nonverbal 6-year-old son with autism had just woken up and were getting ready for school when she saw smoke coming through the vents.
“It was like any other day,” she said. “I was packing my son’s lunch, went to the bathroom, got in there, and my lights started flickering — there was a big pop.”
She ran outside and said she saw flames at the back of the home. Fogleman said she tried to fight the flames with a garden hose until firefighters arrived.
“Honestly, I think I went into shock,” she said. “I kind of felt like I was in the movies."
She and her son were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. Two other family members and the family’s two cats were also inside at the time — but everyone made it out safely.
A CRITICAL DEVICE SAVED
In the chaos, one small but vital item was spared.
Her son uses an AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) talking device to communicate. Fogleman said it was saved because she had just packed his school backpack.
In all the chaos, she said this was her saving grace, but Fogleman adds her son has been struggling since the fire.
“He needs the same routine. So as bad as this has been for me and the other people in the home — it’s been really rough for him," Fogleman said.
HOME CONDEMNED, FOUNDATION DESTROYED
Fogleman has lived in the home since 2022. The trailer belonged to her mother, who passed away from cancer a few years ago.
Fire crews told her the fire appears to have started with the exterior AC unit. And the damage was extensive.
“The entire foundation underneath is gone — even all the way up to the front — the floorboards and everything just gone.”
While the structure is still standing, underneath it has been gutted. The home has been deemed unlivable.
“It’s unreal, honestly,” Fogleman said. “This was my mom’s house. So her pictures, her memories, her furniture — the stuff on her walls. She painted her bedroom rainbow, and that was like my son’s favorite part of the room. So those things are kind of difficult to look around and know that I won’t see them anymore.”
STRUGGLING TO COPE
Fogleman said she is still processing everything that has happened and is struggling emotionally. She describes feeling symptoms of PTSD, particularly when it comes to cooking or using kitchen appliances.
When asked how she’s doing, she answered candidly.
“Not well. I think my main concern is him and his safety, and that’s kind of been what I’m pushing for. And as long as he’s okay then I’ll be okay.”
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
The Red Cross has provided the family with a few nights' hotel stay, but that assistance is running out. Fogleman said she has started a GoFundMe to help raise money for a new place to live.
“Right now, I’m in a position where I don’t have anything,” she said.
In addition to financial help, Fogleman said she is also asking for assistance in finding a contractor who can remove the condemned trailer from the property. She said she is worried about being charged or fined if it is not addressed soon.
As investigators continue working to determine the official cause of the fire, Fogleman is leaning on support from the community — grateful her family survived, but mourning the loss of a home filled with irreplaceable memories.
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