Photo from Paul Don Carter on Facebook
It was a beautiful retreat, nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, northeast of Cave City.
Pure Country Retreat was a western-style venue that served as a place for social gatherings such as weddings, company dinners, parties, and more.
The 10,000-square-foot log cabin was located on 100 acres northeast of Cave City in Sharp County. It featured a 9-foot indoor waterfall and a 7-foot outdoor waterfall that cascaded into a swimming pool. The main cabin could sleep 25.
It had been retreat to the public, offering many enjoyable amenities including horseback riding — until last night when the cabin was struck by lightning and burned to the ground.
The property is owned by Jane and Max Mize. Jane spoke with White River Now’s Gary Bridgman this morning about the strike and resulting fire.
Jane Mize said they had visitors on the property last night when they heard the lightning strike just before midnight after a round of severe weather on Tuesday.
“I mean it was loud,” Jane said.
When the couple smelled smoke, Max ran outside to find smoke billowing out of the attic while Jane helped get visitors out of the cabin. Jane said her husband ran upstairs to retrieve important paperwork and was almost overcome by smoke.
“We just ran out with what we had on. That was it. It was engulfed,” Jane told White River Now. “And just all of the sudden, it [the blaze] engulfed the whole thing. I mean, it was gone.”
The Mize family lost personal belongings and are in need of clothing, hygiene products, groceries, animal feed, and more. To help, contact Philisha Smith at (870) 283-4369 for more information.
Pure Country Retreat from Facebook, November 2016
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