ST. LOUIS – A family of seven is displaced after a house fire on Christmas Day.
The fire broke out around 2 p.m. in the 5500 block of Theodosia. The door and windows are boarded up now.
Derick Brown says his family was sitting next to the Christmas tree and enjoying the day when flames quickly ripped through their home.
When emergency crews arrived on the scene, they could see the flames coming from the building.
“My first attempt was to put the fire out, but then I noticed the fire was too intense, it was just too much. My reaction was to get the kids out,” Brown said.
Brown grabbed his five children—ages 11 months to 14 years old—and got them out of the house to safety. His wife had been gone for about 10 minutes to deliver gifts to her mother and grandmother.
The family says the fire started in the kitchen after baking a ham that was left unattended.
“I heard popping sounds,” Brown said. “I go to the kitchen and it was completely engulfed.”
Although all of their belongings were destroyed, the father of seven says they’re lucky to be alive.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover some of their losses.
