Clearwater family without home for Christmas after fire

Image 1 of 4

Days before Christmas, a Clearwater family is without a home due to a devastating fire Thursday night.

The family is hoping for a Christmas miracle after a fire started in their kitchen and destroyed their home. From the outside, it doesn't appear to be that damaged, but once you step inside you can really see the devastation the fire caused.

The homeowner, Ruthann Daly says her son was in the house cooking but didn't turn the burner off all the way. That's what initially started the fire.

When he woke up and saw the flames, he tried to put it out with water, but that only made it worse.

Their kitchen is now a total loss and the home is without electricity. What wasn't damaged by the flames is now covered in soot and ash, or ruined from the smoke and water.

Daly along with her son, daughter, and 5-year-old granddaughter are all staying at the red cross, but she says that solution is only temporary.

"We're all living in a hotel that Red Cross was gracious enough to give us a little bit of time at. We're making it, we're crammed in there but we're making it work. And then after that, I don't know what's going to happen, I don't know what we're going to do," Daly said.

Now Daly says they will only be at the red cross until next week and then they will have to find somewhere else to stay.

At this point, they don't know how long that cleanup process will take or when they'll be able to move back into their home. A gofundme.com campaign has been set up to help the family.