Long road to recovery for Parker County family who lost home in fire

Some of the members of a Parker County family rescued from their burning home were improving Friday, but others have a long recovery ahead.       

Two children got out of the home Thursday morning to get help, but Parker County Sheriff's deputies and neighbors rescued the others. The fire destroyed the house, leaving the family with nothing.

Body cam video from a parker county sheriff’s deputy shows the dramatic rescue of Jeff and Sarah Leonard and their six children as their home crumbled in ashes and flames around them.

“I had to stop watching it a couple of times, too graphic thinking of what could have happened. Could have been watching that instead of them being rescued,” said Rebekah Daniel, Sarah’s sister.

McDaniel is thankful for neighbors, law enforcement and firefighters who helped get her sister and everybody out.

“She said all she could think of to say, babies and husband. Babies and my husband she was worried they were still in the house,” McDaniel said. “And they said the roof collapsed 30 seconds after everybody was pulled out. Had it been 30 seconds later I wouldn’t have a family, everybody would be gone.”

McDaniel says she and her siblings grew up in the house and that everything was lost in the fire and there’s no insurance to rebuild.

“They’re completely starting from scratch they have no clothing they have nothing,” McDaniel said. “She kept telling me, ‘I have no home this is a nightmare.’”

The family says the mother and father remain hospitalized along with their 6-week-old son and 2-year-old daughter. A 4-year-old son remains in Parkland Hospital with his father. Three older daughters have been released from the hospital and are with relatives.

“I just hope everybody has a full recovery, everybody is hopefully back home together by Christmas so they can celebrate Christmas and having a family and hopefully a home to go back to,” McDaniel said.