In two minutes, a deputy’s family home was destroyed. Here’s how you can help her

It took less than two minutes for the home of a Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputy to become engulfed in flames, destroying her family’s house and everything inside.

In social media posts Tuesday, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office turned to the community to try to help one of their own get back on her feet.

Corrections deputy Anna Ferguson was sleeping Monday afternoon. She had just finished working an 86-hour week at the Sarasota County jail and was finally getting some rest, according to the sheriff’s office. But around 3 p.m., her 21-year-old step-son woke her up.

Their home was on fire.

Both Ferguson and her step-son made it out of the home safely. They were the only two in the house when the fire started, as Ferguson’s husband was out with their 7-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter, according to the sheriff’s office.

Fire officials believe the flames originated in the children’s bedroom, possibly stemming from an electrical issue, though it’s still early in the investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.

Nothing remains of the home where Ferguson, her husband and family lived. Even Ferguson’s vehicle was damaged in the fire and is now undriveable, according to Sarsasota County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Kaitlyn Perez.

The family rented the home and did not have renters insurance, Perez noted.

The sheriff’s office is doing what it can to help but reached out to the community on social media for additional assistance. Officials also shared a GoFundMe page that community members can donate to with the funds going toward Ferguson and her family.

“As the Ferguson family works through this extremely difficult time, we are calling on our community to help provide support. The sheriff's office is assisting Deputy Ferguson and her family but we need help from our community as well,” a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office read.

As of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the GoFundMe page had raised $3,645. The fundraising goal was set at $10,000.

Ferguson has been with the sheriff’s office since October 2012.

This story was originally published January 23, 2018 at 2:23 PM with the headline "In two minutes, a deputy’s family home was destroyed. Here’s how you can help her."