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SANDY — A family in Sandy is in crisis tonight after they were burned out of their home Saturday afternoon.
They have no renters insurance, and one family member said they have lost everything they own in the fire except their cars and the clothes on their backs.
"I was scared to death," Kevin Chukes said. He was watching TV in the basement with his two-year-old son when the electrical fire started in the attic.
"Smoke was gagging me, and I was wondering whether we were going to make it out," he said.
Eight people lived in the rented home, including Chukes and his family, who shared the home with his cousin Kelvin Houston's family.
When the fire started around 1:30 p.m., Chukes said his toddler was the first to alert him.
Chukes opened the basement door as the fire started to spread upstairs.
"There was smoke everywhere," Chukes said. "So I hit the ground with my son and crawled up the steps and got out the front door."
They escaped to the front lawn.
"The fire just came out, boom, and blew all the front windows out," he said.
Chukes said flames leapt 20 feet into the air as the heat of the blaze singed nearby trees and wilted a plastic fence.
"Orange flames were just barreling out, coming out like crazy," Chukes said. "Something like I've never seen before."
The Red Cross put the family up in a hotel for several days, but that help is running out.
"The little money we have, we used to buy socks and T-shirts," Houston said.
Houston lived in the home 15 years, and his daughter was raising her three-year-old son there.
"I rented that long," he said. "But it was like it was my house."
Houston was emotional during his interview in front of the boarded-up house, the closest the family has been since the fire, as his voice trailed off and his eyes teared up. He said he struggles with the stress of losing everything.
"They kind of depend on me. I'm the dad," he said.
The older cousins have tried to explain to the young boys why they can't go back in the home.
"Nothing is salvageable in the house," Chukes said.
However, they said they are thankful that no one was hurt in the fire.
A fund has been set up on behalf of the family at Chase Bank under the name Nashima Houston*. Non-cash donations can be made by emailing houstonhelp@hotmail.com.
*KSL.com has not verified the accuracy of the information provided with respect to the account nor does KSL.com assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
