Montgomery woman speaks after deadly house fire

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - It’s been three weeks since a house fire destroyed Bennetta Carter’s home.

The mother of four said she is grateful she, her 5 year-old daughter and her young niece survived, because they were all in the home when the fire broke out However, her husband died in the fire. In the three weeks that followed the tragedy, the details of the investigation left Carter with more questions.

“They said it might have been a malfunctioning plug in my daughter’s room,” Carter said. “It seems like that’s where it really started. I don’t really know for sure.”

What Carter does not question, she said, is her faith.

“God is really showing out and working through people to show who He is,” Carter said. “I don’t know. I don’t know why this happened. I’ll never know. But God...God knows. I thank God for this. There is something to be learned from this."

Carter, who works in the dining hall at Huntingdon College, said her work community has been overwhelmingly supportive. Staff and students at the school gathered donations for her, and the football team even came to help clean out the damage from the fire.

“If it weren’t for these people, showing me that they love and care about me, I don’t know where I’d be today,” Carter said. “It’s beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, my emotional and personal side struggle sometimes. I still have days where I just want him to drive down the street and come home, but I know it’s not going to happen. I just focus on the blessing.”

On Thursday, Sigma Nu Fraternity will hold a cornhole tournament to raise money for Carter. The event will be held at 6 p.m. at Roland Arena. You can get more details on how to participate or donate by emailing jlucas@hawks.huntingdon.edu.