Detroit family loses everything in devastating house fire

DETROIT (WJBK) - A Detroit family is out in the cold after a devastating fire. The flames destroyed everything they owned, scattering their family.

"We had the gas company come out and turn on the gas for us so we could be nice and warm. We were just beginning to get comfortable inside our house. Our kids were getting into it and everything. We cooked a couple of meals. Everything was OK," said Joshua Glass.

On Friday, life changed for Joshua and Elizabeth. Out on a rare day without their kids, the unthinkable happened. The children were sleeping when the fire started.

Neighbors told the babysitter they saw smoke coming from the roof. He was able to get all five children out, wrapped in blankets with only the clothes on their backs. 

"We came running. We came flying, actually. The kids were out here with no coats, no shoes, no socks, down the street at our neighbor's house. Thankfully we have such good neighbors," Glass said.

He said firefighters couldn't tell him how it happened.

Before the fire, they were still celebrating the holidays in their forever home. Now instead of Christmas ornaments, icicles hang from exposed beams. Melted and burned Christmas toys scattered around, never to be played with again.

"It was ours. It was something we could call our own. We had it together," Glass said. "Our kids were happy."

Now the family is scattered.

"The older ones kind of understand what's going on. They just want to know where we're going to live, when they can come home," Elizabeth Lacy said.

Donations are trickling in from neighbors, but this family needs so much more. Anyone who can help, click here.

You can drop off donations to St David's Episcopal Church, 16200 Twelve Mile Rd, Southfield, MI between the hours of 10a and 3p, M-F.