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A shower or two around the area early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 41F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

A shower or two around the area early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 41F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.

The Montavy family –  Doug and Danyail and their children Sariah and Douglas II -- lost everything, barely escaping death in a devastating fire on Monday, Oct. 3, in Barnett. But a hero saved the family –  a Great Dane named Jay Lee.

Since then, they have been introduced to multiple heroes: Lake-area heroes who have quickly and generously poured love and support out to the family.

“I don’t know how I could have mentally survived what we are dealing with without the support of the community,” Danyail Montavy said in an interview on Tuesday, Oct. 12.

The community immediately rallied around the family supplying clothing and emergency needs, as well as dog food, household items (for their future home) and toys. The Morgan County R-2 School held a hat fundraiser raising $1,600 the week of the fire. The soccer team donated proceeds and donations from their football concessions, a Go Fund Me has raised more than $1,000, and donations deposited at the Bank of Versailles in their name has raised more than that. Unfortunately, their home was underinsured.

Friends and family are helping to clean-up what is left of the charred remains of the Montavy family home. They are currently living in a motel. Their plans are to build a three bedroom, two bath, Martin Metal house on their property. They hope to find a trailer to live in the interim so they can care for their farm animals.

Doug works at Martin Metal and can purchase supplies at discounted costs. Rebar had been donated. A local church is donating labor to frame the house. Currently, they need an excavator, help with clean-up, concrete and construction labor to help build a shed to use for a temporary restroom.

Monetary donations can still be made for the Montavy family at the Bank of Versailles with branches in Camdenton, Sunrise Beach and Versailles.

Doug and Danyail and their two children, Sariah, 9, and Douglas II, 7, were in bed when their Great Dane “Jay Lee” ran out of Sariah’s room, ferociously barking and forcefully jumping against Doug and Danyail’s bedroom door. “I told him to be quiet,” Danyail said. “But Doug said, ‘There is something wrong, that bark sounds aggressive’”

Doug opened the bedroom door and faced a raging fire. The entire back of the home was fully engulfed in flames. The back deck was also ablaze.

He shouted "Fire! Fire!" and Danyail leaped to her feet, running to Sariah’s room. She told their daughter to run to their van. Jay Lee and their other dog, Eli, a Labradoodle, both made it to safety with Sariah.

As Danyail made her way to Douglas’ room she saw her husband fighting the fire with fire extinguishers, but to no avail. When Sariah opened the outside door to escape the fire, the draft of air fueled the fire causing it to ignite even hotter and spread to the ceilings and walls of the home. Danyail dragged Douglas through the burning house to safety.

Once outside, she called 911. Doug was still inside attempting to salvage valuables. “The fire department told me to get him out of the house!” Danyail recalled, adding, “That was a struggle.” Once Doug was outside, the family got in their vehicle and drove to the end of the driveway to make room for the fire trucks to access their home.

According to Versailles Rural Fire Department Fire Chief Jim Towles, his firefighters were toned out at 9:48 on that fateful night Oct. 3 to the Montavy house, located at 20448 S. Marvin Road in Barnett. The Versailles City Fire Department set up a site to fill tankers with water. The first units were on the scene at 10 p.m.

“The arriving units found the entire back deck area ablaze, with fire coming out of the bedroom and kitchen windows,” Chief Towles said.

The family sat in their van and watched their home burn.

Firefighters were able to knock the fire down in 15 minutes. Towles said they determined the fire had started near a bug zapper on the back porch.

Doug has a reputation for helping people in his community. Now, it is his turn to reap what he has sown even though he is not comfortable being on the receiving end.

“I know God is helping us,” Danyail said. “Without Him, we would not have so much peace. We do not have words enough to express our thanks. We have a wonderful community.”

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