A family of 14 is out of their home tonight after it was destroyed by fire. The fire on Tuesday morning destroyed the Ahmad family’s home in Hattieville, leaving them only with their lives and the clothes on their backs. It is a monumental loss for the family which says they will have to start again from scratch. That is why today they turned to the public for help.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This is what’s left of the Ahmad family’s 5 bedroom home after the fire on Tuesday morning. It started in one of the bedrooms.
Ansaar Ahmad, Fire Victim
“The iron was left on and it was Tuesday morning in one of the rear rooms and what happened was the bed caught fire and it spread through the entire room and then it spread throughout the house. That was a real quick fire.”
A real quick and fast moving fire which Fareed and his younger brother Snsaar say destroyed everything in the house – nothing was salvaged; no appliances, no possessions, and no documents.
Keith Swift,
“What was destroyed?”
Ansaar Ahmad,
“Everything in the house that was left in there, everything completely. Books, uniforms, furniture everything.”
Fareed Ahmad, Family Member
“The house was completely destroyed. Every single thing was destroyed in the house and like my brother said, it happened so fast. All he could have
saved in the house was his family. He tried to get some stuff out, remove the gas tank because we didn’t want an explosion but the fire spread so quickly. I myself couldn’t understand how a fire could rage so quickly and destroy everything.”
14 people called the now destroyed house home.
Fareed Ahmad,
“We do need some construction materials to immediately start and I guess eventually over time the other stuff in the house could be replaced but just in the meantime we need some construction material to start with. I have my brothers and sisters going to school, basically all of their uniforms and books that were in their backs and on their bags were destroyed.
To see my place of residence destroyed in minutes, it was very very overwhelming but all I could say is that well God has his plans and God gives and he takes back. That is my conclusion to it. As long as it takes to build a house, in one quick fire everything gets destroyed and you don’t realize that you’ve lost everything until you’ve lost everything. Fortunately for us we have all our family members, we still have health and strength and hopefully God willing we will get back on our feet.”
The house itself was valued at $150,000. Neither the house nor its contents were insured. Anyone able to assist can contact the family at 600-3974.
And if the name family name “Ahmad” sounds familiar, that is because it is. In February, 13 year old jihad Ahmad was involved in the deadly collision between an SUV and a pickup on the Western Highway. Jihad survived but barely. After months of recovery—jihad returned to high school earlier this month and we are told he is doing well.
