Family grateful for every other after dropping dwelling to hearth in northwest Houston on Xmas Eve

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A single loved ones in northwest Houston is living a Xmas nightmare following a hearth destroyed their dwelling Thursday early morning.

Rather of celebrating the holiday break, the Cunningham household stated they are digging by way of piles of particles.

“All but just one bed room is totally burned,” Linda Cunnningham mentioned. “H2o, sheet rock, it is all mud.”

Cunningham claimed her elderly parents, who are in their 80s, dwell at the property on Garden Wooden Lane. They have been sleeping, alongside with their grownup grandchild, when a fireplace started out at about 4:30 a.m.

The home has been in the household considering that the 1970s, and now, all the things from their clothing to valuables has been wrecked.

For the duration of the fire, Cunningham stated her mom, Edith, escaped by way of a bed room window with the support of her granddaughter. Cunningham’s father, Rick, is in the clinic struggling from burns.

“He acquired burned badly, and he is in his 80s so we are hoping he is likely to get out,” Cunningham mentioned.

The Harris County Hearth Marshal’s Business is investigating, and whilst they are unsure about the result in, they said it’s a good reminder on fire protection during the vacations.

The Houston Fireplace Department has a record of guidelines on their website, which includes producing confident to test smoke detectors and shifting the battery at the time a yr.

They advise you to hardly ever go away foodstuff that is cooking unattended. As significantly as Xmas trees go, make positive the tree is at minimum 3 ft absent from any heat. When it will come to candles, make sure you are using a candle with a base big more than enough to maintain melted wax and that it is really protected from tipping about.

While Cunningham said her moms and dads have misplaced every thing, she claimed she hopes it serves as an significant lesson to many others not to take anything at all for granted through the vacations, and bear in mind what’s definitely vital.

“Absolutely everyone is alive. That’s the greatest issue,” Cunningham said. “You can give anyone a present, but you are not able to substitute this. Really don’t take anything at all for granted. Give your enjoys a hug.”

The household has made a GoFundMe site for anyone who would like to donate.