VIDEO: A Christmas morning house fire destroyed a Claxton Avenue home, leaving a father and his two sons without shelter during the holiday season. Austin Cosey said he was awakened around 2:30 Thursday morning by his dog barking and discovered his living room engulfed in flames. โAll I could hear was a crackling noise,โ he said. โI saw an orange light and I knew something was wrong.โ
The fire quickly spread throughout the house, which belonged to Coseyโs late grandmother. Cosey was the only person home at the time and escaped uninjured, but the interior was completely destroyed.
Cosey said the fire was started by a space heater. According to the National Fire Incident Reporting System, portable heaters are responsible for around 1,100 fires annually. โIt felt like everything was melting on top of me when I came back in the house after throwing out the fire I did have,โ Cosey said.
The houseโs siding was damaged and slipping off the structure. Objects relevant to Coseyโs family history surrounded the property. โI lost it all in the fire,โ he said. โThings I have saved from passed away family members, my brother passed away this year and he left a lot of stuff behind,โ
Cosey said those who live nearby have been showing the spirit of the holiday season. โI was blessed that my neighbors they had gotten me a hotel room,โ he said. โMy other neighbors helped me board up the house so it wouldnโt get anymore damage and nobody would loot so Iโve been blessed so far.โ
As Cosey determines next steps for himself and his sons, he is most grateful for survival. โIโm blessed even though I lost my home, Iโm still alive, I was fortunate to be woken up and make it out, that was my Christmas gift,โ Cosey said.
