MBHS helping raise funds for employee who lost everything in fire

Micah Mumford has been working at Mountain Brook High School since he was 18 years old. He’s been a part of the Spartan family for 10 years and said he has daily conversations with the students there. 

“Everybody knows me, everybody comes and talks to me,” he said. “It’s been great … I wouldn’t be there 10 years if I didn’t like it.” He even became a big Alabama fan while working at the school.

So when his house in Pratt City out near Ensley burned down in the early morning hours of Dec. 7, Mountain Brook — along with many friends and family members of Mumford — rallied.

Mumford said he and his cousin, Baxter Clark, who lived together in his grandparent’s house, experienced two fires in the time their house burned down. This first was around 6 p.m. on Dec. 6 when they saw flames coming out of a vent near the attic; firefighters were able to put that fire out and returned a couple hours later to make sure everything look okay.

“Everything looked good after … But we got a phone call about four in the morning saying that the whole house was on fire,” Clark said.

Mumford said they lost everything in the fire — including all of the Alabama gear he kept in his "‘Bama room" — but noted it was still better than losing his life. Neither he nor Clark were injured in the fire, and they were staying with Mumford’s mom just a few minutes away.

Friends asked if he wanted them to set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help with costs, and after some thought, he agreed to it. “I don’t like begging,” Mumford said. “But at the same time, I have to replace everything.”

The following morning, he saw a tweet from a Mountain Brook student saying, “Go support Micah,” that linked to a fundraising account, he said. As of 1 p.m. on Dec. 8, the GoFundMe has raised nearly $12,000 from more than 200 people. 

On the GoFundMe page, creators wrote, “Micah brings a positive and encouraging attitude to all of the students and staff every day,” and it has been shared many times throughout social media. The high school has also started collecting clothing donations and Mumford said they’re in need of basic toiletries. 

“I was ecstatic [when I learned of the fundraiser]. I was like a fat kid at a buffet,” Mumford said. “I really appreciate the Mountain Brook family.”

In the meantime, Mumford said he and Clark are staying with Mumford’s mom, who also works for the Mountain Brook school system. While he does have insurance to help cover costs, he plans to use the donated monies raised to start over.

“Everything is going to a new place,” Mumford said.