A family was left homeless Friday night after a fire on Chicago’s South Side left them with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
Firefighters battled the blaze in the early morning hours under freezing conditions as flames shot through roof of Marie Rattler’s home. She and her six children lived at the home in the 5600 block of South Peoria Street.
Rattler watched from a neighbor’s porch.
“We went down to a neighbor’s house and stuff just started exploding everywhere as soon as we got out of the house—and the roof caved in,” she said.
Blue, the family dog, also escaped the blaze.
“We lost everything but we didn’t even have to see doctors,” Dizelle Rattler said. “Nobody hat to go to the hospital.”
The family’s belongings and Christmas gifts were destroyed, but Marie Rattler still expressed gratitude.
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“I’m blessed because it could’ve been worse,” she said. “It could’ve been a real tragedy, somebody could have gotten hurt.”
Dizelle echoed that sentiment.
"Just thank God for live, that's the best present for Christmas," he said.
For the time being the family will stay with relatives.
