Ohio Blaze on Christmas Leaves Family Homeless

Dec. 26, 2005
Occupants were not home when fire started.

A fire burned out the upper floor of a house on Lincoln Ave. in Steubenville, Sunday. It happened just after 1:00 p.m. on Christmas day.

Neighbors noticed the flames and called the fire department, who responded in just minutes. They had the fire under control in about a half hour, but said the entire second floor is destroyed, and all of the family's belongings on the first floor are water damaged.

Firefighters are investigating, but don't yet know the cause of the fire.

The couple that lives at the home was having Christmas dinner at a relative's house when they got the call. They were told their house was on fire, and that one of their cats was dead.

Now they have no where to live, and are looking for help.

"We had no insurance, we have nothing," said Joyce Allison, who lives at the home with her fiancee. "We have stuff downstairs but it was all water damaged, we can't use it. We don't know what we're going to do."

The American Red Cross went out to the scene, and is putting the couple up in a hotel for three days. They are also providing them with a credit card to buy some clothes and other essentials. After that the couple plans to stay with family and friends, and attempt to rebuild.

Family and friends are also offering what help they can, and the couple said they'll just take it one day at a time.

John Paul, NEWS9

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