x
Breaking News
More () »

Family of seven run for their lives after home is destroyed in fire in east Toledo

A family was sent running for their lives Thursday morning by fast moving flames that consumed their home.

TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - A family was sent running for their lives Thursday morning by fast moving flames that consumed their home.

The blaze happened on Parker Avenue near Idaho Street in east Toledo around 1:30 a.m.

Five children, with ages that range from two to eleven years old along with two adults, were all inside the home when the fire started. They were all able to escape.

However the two-year-old suffered from a burn on the foot.

Melissa Lesage, the mother who lived in the home, said one of her children alerted the family about the fire. That's when the kids were quickly grabbed and everyone ran out of the home with just the clothes on their back.

"No, I didn't have no shoes. I didn't have a hoodie. My daughter didn't have no pants on because it was warm in the house. He did have nothing on," Lesage said. "My neighbor gave me stuff for me and the kids and him. This is all we have now."

Lesage said she has been recently receiving threats from a person she knows. However, firefighters do not believe the fire is suspicious.

Lesage believes the fire started on the couch in the living room and spread extremely fast throughout the whole house.

"I didn't have no shoes. I didn't have no hoodie. My daughter didn't have any pants on because it was warm in the house. He didn't have nothing on. My neighbor gave me stuff for me and the kids and him," Lesage explained.

Unfortunately the family's two dogs did not survive the fire and the home is a complete loss.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Meanwhile, Helping Hands of St. Louis, where Lesage is a volunteer, stepped in to help the family during this trying time.

With the help of late donations, Lesage will be able to give her kids presents on Christmas morning.

"Unfortunately she lost all of her toys. But fortunately we got a lot of last minute donations that don't make it to those," Sue Shrewsbery of Helping Hands said. "So this is our way of utilizing those toys out of last minute gifts."

"St. Louis has actually always been there for me. I used to volunteer down here for three years. Every time I needed anything, they used to tell me to come down here," Lesage said. "They heard about here and called my friend Chris, and he got a hold of me. And now we're here."

Toledo police will also help donate toys for the family as well.

Before You Leave, Check This Out