TOWN OF HARTLAND, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Niagara County family is picking up the pieces after a fire destroyed their home on Christmas Eve.
Emergency crews responded to the fire on Stone Road in the Town of Hartland just after 9 p.m. on Wednesday. The Niagara County Sheriff's Office said a fire in the garage spread to the home. First responders quickly discovered that no one was home at the time, but said unfortunately, multiple animals were killed. The cause of the fire is being investigated.
The house belonged to James Minner, the Hartland Volunteer Fire Company chaplain and Hartland Town Justice.
James, his wife Amanda, and their four children were not home at the time of the fire, a fact the family says they are deeply thankful for.
“On Christmas Eve, we had a beautiful night,” James said. “We were just getting ready to head home and get the kids to bed when my wife got a call from our neighbor that our house was on fire.”
While no one was injured, the loss has been overwhelming for the family.
“It’s been devastating,” James said. “We lost everything. Everything that we’ve worked for our whole lives is gone.”
WATCH: Hartland family loses home to fire on Christmas Eve
One small decision on Christmas Eve may have made all the difference. The family says they stayed later than usual at a relative’s home...a choice they now believe saved their lives.
“We usually leave after presents and dinner,” said daughter Alayna Minner. “But we stayed later to have dessert, my grandma’s homemade cheesecake, and we joked that saved our lives.”
The emotional impact has been especially difficult for the children, who say the holiday didn’t feel the same this year.
For Amanda, the loss goes far beyond the physical structure.
“It was a very special place for us,” she said. “It was our home. Everything. We homeschooled there — every meal at the table, breakfast, lunch, dinner. That was our life.”
In the days since the fire, the family says they’ve been overwhelmed by support from neighbors, first responders, friends and strangers.
The Red Cross has been notified to assist the family as they work to rebuild. They say the kindness shown during this difficult time has helped them begin to heal.
"Just thank everyone...the firefighters, police, people donating,” she said. “Everyone that's done something has made this so much easier for us because it's been really hard for me and my family."
A GoFundMe has been created for the Minner family, which you can find here.
