Latexo Family Loses Home in Devastating Fire

And Still Finds They Have All They Need

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

LATEXO – Sunday, Jan. 14 was a busy day for many in Houston County, making sure there were provisions and preparations ready for the winter storm set to hit that night. For the Colle family in Latexo, it was the day a neighbor called them while they were at church to tell them their house was on fire. 

When Ronnie Colle got the call in the middle of service, he grabbed wife Nicole Ross Colle, got their two-year-old son from the church nursery and sped back home, to see what would be left. The Colles attend church in Lufkin, so it was a long drive back, wondering what they would find. 

“I called the Houston County Sheriff’s Office and asked if I could get an escort or something, because I wanted to go 100-miles-an-hour!” Ronnie said. 

A heat lamp behind the house, left to make sure the family pets would be warm in the cold, caught fire, quickly spreading to the roof and engulfing the house. 

The whole drive back, all the Colles could think of was, What would be left? Where would they live? How would they be able to start over with nothing?

Neither the Colles, nor their two daughters (one a recent high school graduate, the other a sophomore at Latexo High School) were home at the time of the fire. Even the family pets were fine – but the life they once knew had taken a turn they would never forget. Black ash, soot, smoke – almost all that remained of the home they had worked so hard to create. 

Ronnie remembered watching local firefighters work on the blaze as ice sickles began to form – what a day to lose your house. 

The Glawsons, owners of Ace Bail Bonds in Crockett, lent the family a hunting cabin in the meantime while they regroup and consider their options. The two daughters are staying with family, while the toddler has enough toys to keep him happy, not fully realizing what the family is going through. 

Everything else went up in smoke. The family was able to salvage some items, including clothes, taking them to a local washateria to try and get the smell of smoke out of them. The sophomore was able to save her homecoming gown and a mum was donated to her. 

Quickly, friends, family and even strangers began to chip in, donating the million and one things you suddenly need and never thought about. Toiletries, clothes, toys for the baby – all the little pieces of life long taken for granted are just…gone. 

People have been helping make sure the youngest Colle has some clothes and toys, and donating to the Colles and their older daughters, too, still dealing with losing everything. The eldest daughter, Elle Brown, competes at Elite Fitness and money was donated to make sure she wouldn’t miss the big competition this weekend. 

Family members have taken to social media to get help for the family and Latexo ISD announced all of the proceeds from Wednesday night’s basketball concession stand sales will be donated to the family.

Ronnie was overwhelmed by the support, humbled by people reaching out to help, in both big and small ways. 

“Any little thing helps right now,” Ronnie said. “You just don’t know what it’s like to start over – when you have nothing.”

Wife Nicole went shopping that night, still dazed, trying to think of everything the family would need in the short term. 

“Where do you start?” she thought. “I bought some laundry baskets for our clothes and we have basically been living out of those laundry baskets.”

Their next door neighbor – who suffered their own fire a few years ago – helped greatly, taking them in, watching the baby while the Colles took care of getting their lives organized again and giving them tips on how to fight back from the chaos of losing their home. 

Amidst the shock and their new reality, the Colles have been able to find some peace, not only in what happened, but from their own brave reaction and the love and kindness of their Houston County neighbors. 

“God just decided we needed a reset, for whatever reason. And we’re taking in all the blessings we have,” Nicole said. “The fire made me realize how truly blessed we are. I think we’re more blessed today than we were Saturday, when we had ‘everything.’”

Ronnie is still working out the longterm details, such as where they will live. He is thinking of maybe turning the barn into a living area for the family – a “barndominium,” as he calls it. 

To offer support of any kind to the Colle family, please contact Latexo High School or The Messenger who can help get that support to help this family get back to normal. 

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]