ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Sixteen people have been displaced after a three-alarm fire destroyed a house this morning.
Ten adults and four children are now leaning on the American Red Cross for help after the fire on Champlain Street Wednesday morning.
“Start over,” Jasmine Fedrick said. “Start over. Get a new house.”
Jasmine Fedrick said she is devasted for her Aunt Mattie, who watched as her house was torn down.
“She takes care of everybody, even more than family,” Fedrick said. “The outsiders, loved ones of loved ones. My Aunt is always taking losses for other people.”
Fedrick said the family didn’t know the house was on fire until her little cousin woke up early in the morning.
“We just woke up and we see a fire outside the window,” she said. “We just evacuated out the house and made sure everybody got out safely.”
Fedrick and the other adults wanted to make sure the children were safe and okay.
“It was devastating because we had babies and younger kids in there,” Fedrick said.
American Red Cross was there to provide emergency resources and support. Fedrick said the Red Cross has placed the family in a hotel until other resources are found.
“Our team will continue to work with those impacted to address their immediate and long-term needs and connect them with the necessary resources in the days and weeks to come,” The Red Cross said in a statement.
Firefights on scene say that it took about an hour to get the fire under control. They add that the cause of the fire is still unknown and is still under investigation.