TOLEDO, Ohio — Early Tuesday morning, two Toledo families became homeless after a house fire spread from one house to another and damaged a third.
Michael Hickey, his wife Christine, their five and six-year-old daughters and his four-year-old son all had their lives turned upside down after visiting family on Sunday only to learn their home is gone.
"My neighbor called me at (2 a.m.). She told me my house was on fire. I was in total disbelief until she showed me video proof," Hickey said. "I hopped in my car to head up here and I could see the smoke from Oregon."
Hickey said they unplugged almost all the appliances before leaving the home and haven't been there for days. But no one realized when they left on Sunday, they could never come back.
"I got what I could out of the yard. But as for the house, there was nothing salvageable. Nothing," Hickey said.
After early morning flames engulfed their home, it spread to the home next door. Hickey grew close with neighbors on both sides in the three years they lived there and said he isn't as worried about his family.
"I feel even worse for Mr. Lonie. He's a disabled veteran," Hickey said. "Everything he has is on his back. We had a couple changes of clothes at her grandma's."
Once firefighters put out the flames, it was apparent that both houses were a total loss. Mark Berlin watched with his veteran father as the city tore down the home he's had since the early 1990s. Berlin said he's just grateful his father was able to make it out safely.
"He seems to be handling it alright right now, but I guess we'll see how it goes," Berlin said. "I'll take him back to my house after this and let him get some sleep."
Fire crews were able to save his father's American flag from the flames and the family is eternally grateful.
"Right now, that's the only thing he really has left. Except for the clothes on his back," Berlin said.
He said this isn't his father's first house fire, unfortunately. There was a fire at the back of the home which did a lot of damage back in 2009.
"We rebuilt the roof and everything and he bounced back from that," Berlin said. "I just think it'll just take some time."
Of the three homes connected by the fire, Matthew Zaborski's home is still standing, but the whole ordeal is very raw for him.
"I'm hurt. My friends have nothing," Zaborski said.
While the damage to his home is minimal in comparison, after having lived in his home for 17 years and getting to know his neighbors, he feels alone since his neighborhood has been reduced to rubble.
"I don't know at this point. I have nobody else here," Zaborski said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by TFRD. Both families who lost their homes are receiving assistance from the Red Cross.