A woman who just returned home from a trip overseas is now trying to find a place to live after her home went up in flames Wednesday morning.
It happened on the 2800 block of Proctor Street in Irving at about 2 a.m.
Tara Smith was sleeping when the flames started shooting from a vent in the living room floor. Smith tried to put out the fire, but it spread quickly.
Smith had just flown in from Africa at about 10 p.m. Tuesday, and brought thousands of dollars worth of lingerie with her, handmade by villagers. Through her nonprofit and fair trade business, the money would have helped seamstresses in Cameroon.
Smith is grateful she managed to escape from the home with minor burns.
"It's one of those moments I have to kind of put my hands up and thank God I'm still alive," Smith said. I woke up, my dogs okay, so I'm just holding on to my faith right now."
Investigators say an electrical problem with the thermostat caused the fire.
The fire destroyed nearly half of the merchandise Smith brought back with her from Cameroon, but much of it made it out of the fire with no damage at all.
The couple will be sorting through everything, and still plans to launch their fair trade lingerie line on Black Friday.
"We wanted to take something that was fun and sexy, and make it good," said Smith. "And turn it into a vehicle to change the world."
NBC 5's Kendra Lyn and Lindsay Wilcox contributed to this report.
