DAYTON — A family of 13 is without a home after a fire started at a vacant house next door and then spread to their home.
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News Center 7 reported about a fire on Warder Street on Thursday morning. It started at a vacant house and spread to a neighboring home where Ada Ramsey and most of her family were sleeping.
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Ramsey said she and 10 kids woke up to their family home on fire. She and the kids got out and watched as flames ate away at 23 years of memories.
“The kids ran out with just the clothes, what they had on. Some of them didn’t even have shirts on, nobody had shoes, and they just went out to the sidewalk,” she said.
>> PHOTOS: Firefighters deal with huge flames after 2 homes catch fire
Fire officials declared Ramsey’s family home and the house where the fire started a total loss.
As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, Ramsey said the city was planning to demolish the vacant house before the fire.
“They kept saying ‘It’s on the list, it’s on the list,‘” she said. “It was falling apart. It’s scary because you could be coming home at 10:00 and then somebody’s coming out, scaring you.”
Ramsey told News Center 7 that she’s never had to rebuild after a fire before, but she’s determined to bring back a sense of normalcy.
The community is coming together to help cover their transition in this new reality.
“The kids need uniforms, they need uniforms. I guess, I don’t know ‘cause I never asked so this is hard for me to even say what they, what somebody can do for us,” she said.
Ramsey was the first person in her family to become a homeowner. Although this has been hard, she said she’s thankful for the support and ready to rebuild for her family.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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