After a devastating fire, a family in Florida must rebuild their lives from scratch after a squirrel chewed through electrical wiring in their home, sparking a blaze that left the house destroyed.
The incident occurred on Jan. 31, 2026, when Donnie Banta and Stacey Davis were asleep with their children and pets in their Panama City home.
The family’s sleep was disrupted by a strange noise and the smell of something burning, according to WMBB.
“We were all asleep when I heard the breaker flip,” Banta said. “I got up to check it out, heard rustling in the attic, and smelled an electrical odor.”
As soon as Davis realized something was wrong, she urged the family to get out of the house as quickly as possible. “It was chaos,” she said. “We were scrambling to get everyone up and outside.”
Squirrel chews through electrical wires, sparking inferno that destroyed Florida family’s home: ‘Starting over from scratch’ https://t.co/F6xwHf3Mvw pic.twitter.com/R2amQ0XGSm
— New York Post (@nypost) February 10, 2026
Panama City firefighters responded quickly to the fire, but the damage was extensive. The blaze destroyed the home and caused the roof to collapse, leaving the family with nothing.
According to reports, the couple, their two children, dog, and cat escaped safely, but Davis recalled the family’s escape as “frantic.”
Officials later determined the fire started after a squirrel got into the attic and chewed through electrical wiring, causing a short that led to the fire.
“They told us a squirrel chewed on the wiring and that’s what started it,” Donnie Banta said.
As the family grapples with the agony of having to start their lives over, a GoFundMe has been launched to help them rebuild and cover basic needs such as housing, clothing, and other essentials.
“They’re facing the overwhelming task of starting over from scratch,” the GoFundMe page stated. “The roof collapsed, and nearly everything they owned was destroyed in the blaze.
“Thankfully, Stacey, her husband, and their two children made it out safely, but they are now faced with the overwhelming challenge of starting over from scratch,” it read.
“The loss of their home and belongings has left them in urgent need of support as they navigate this difficult time.”
As of Feb. 9, the page had raised nearly $6,000 of its $10,000 goal. The funds will be sent directly to the family to help pay for temporary housing and replace basic items such as beds, furniture, and groceries.
“We mainly need help through the GoFundMe,” Davis said. “Even things like furniture or kitchen items would make a difference.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association, electrical issues account for 16% of fire-related deaths and 9% of all residential fires.
Florida is particularly prone to severe weather and frequent storms, making short circuits and electrical wiring damage more common.
If squirrels are living in your attic or around your home, they could put your family and property at risk. Squirrels have large front incisors that never stop growing, and to keep their teeth from becoming too long, they constantly chew on hard materials.
Squirrels can cause house fires by gnawing through wiring inside homes. When they nest in attics, the risk increases significantly, as they spend extended periods chewing on wires, wooden beams, and plastic materials found in dark, moist, and sheltered areas.
Even if squirrels are not inside a home, they can still cause serious electrical damage outdoors, particularly near vents, electrical equipment, or appliances that generate heat.
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As reported by the outlet, just like Donnie Banta and Stacey Davis, in another case, a squirrel ran along a power line and made contact with a utility pole, creating an electrical arc.
This small issue caused the power line to break free and fall onto another line, allowing electricity to travel into the home’s water heater and causing a massive fire. While situations like this are rare, they do contribute to the overall number of squirrel-related indoor fires.
