Metamora Twp. family loses everything in house fire days before Christmas

A couple and their infant daughter lost everything when their house caught on fire in Metamora Township on Monday afternoon.

The smoke was so thick, 31-year-old Vincent Lamoureux said he couldn't even see his house.

"God bless no one was in there," he said.

Lamoureux and his fiancée, along with their 2-month-old daughter, had been renting the home on Lapeer Road near Pratt Street for about nine months, while his other children stay on the weekends. He said when this happened, his fiancée had just left with their daughter as he was on his way home around 12:30 p.m. 

Lamoureux saw the heavy smoke and pulled over.
 
"I just came home to it and then my house was in flames," he said.

Metamora fire crews battled the blaze with the help of Hadley and Lapeer firefighters. They said they believe the fire started somewhere near the front of the home near the porch and quickly spread to the kitchen and attic.

"We don't have any renters insurance. We didn't think anything like this would ever happen," Lamoureux said.

All of his belongings burned in the fire.

"We're a struggling family. I've never been rich my whole life. I've struggled my whole life. And it seems like every time I start to do good you know, I get knocked back down," he said.

That includes Christmas gifts, irreplaceable memories and necessities.

"All of her baby stuff that we just bought and everybody just bought for her is in there. It's gonna hurt. It's gonna be hard, especially around the holidays. I mean, come on," he said.

Lamoureux said not only did they lose all of their belongings -- but also their family pets, a few birds and their dog. He said the pit-lab mix had no way of escaping because it was stuck inside its crate.

"My dog was on the side and my kid, he's going to be hurting over this bad. That was his dog," he said.

Metamora fire officials said right now they don't yet know the cause of the fire but they are only beginning their investigation. Now Lamoureux is planning to stay with family as they struggle to salvage what's left... 

"Right now around this time of year hold tight onto family because really that's all we've got," he said.