Hope Mills family loses everything in house fire two days after Christmas

HOPE MILLS, NC (WTVD) -- A Hope Mills family of seven is in need of a helping hand after a fire destroyed their home.

The homeowner told ABC11 he had to run back inside the burning house to make sure everyone got out OK. It happened just after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 5400 block of Jackson Street in Hope Mills.

Just two days after Christmas, the Vazquez's three-bedroom home went up in flames.

"We've been having electrical problems in the house lately," said Eric Vazquez, who lives there with his family. "My 3-year-old son came to me from the living room and said, 'Daddy, there's smoke.'"

He sprang into action, rescuing his children from the blaze and going back inside only to save an elderly uncle who could barely walk. The home is a total loss and there's no explanation as to how the fire started.

"Everything we have that we own is literally gone including my kids' Christmas gifts. Everything we had was priceless," Vazquez said.

That fire forced the family of seven from their home with just the clothes on their back.

"We've lost our grandparents, our dad and uncle all in three years and now, she's lost her house," said Heather Jones, whose sister lives in the house. "The baby doesn't even have clothes on. She's four months old and her formula is in there, bottles and everything."