DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — A kitchen fire Tuesday afternoon quickly made its way through a house on East Olive Street in Decatur, destroying most of the interior of the home.
Residents Calvin Carson and Tanika Smith were both out of the house when the fire started. Carson explained that he had put grease on the stove to heat himself a meal, but when he got a call from his bank alerting him of fraud, he left right away.
"It was just that quick. My mind went blank [when] I had that [grease] going. I went on to the bank and in no more than ten minutes ... I was getting all these phone calls, and it was my neighbor. He said, 'dude, your house is up in smoke.' Immediately, I already knew I had left that grease," he said.
Smith and Carson said they were appreciative of the firefighters on scene who acted quickly to contain the flames and who helped them in the aftermath.
"He [firefighter] gave me a hug and told me he was sorry about what happened, and that mistakes happen," said Smith.
They said they have received help from the Red Cross and loved ones, and that people from Smith's job at McAllister's were helping as well.
Smith said the Area Director paid for their stay at a hotel for the rest of the week, and Smith's boss is planning a fundraiser for December 23.
"It's a blessing how my job stepped in to help me out," Smith said. "We thank God for everybody that reached out."
Although they won't be able to spend Christmas at their home, Smith and Carson are still staying positive despite it all.
"We just take the process one day at a time," Carson said.
A GoFundMe has been created to help the family.
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