NORTHVILLE, Mich. (WXYZ) — A family in Northville is hoping for a little extra help this holiday season after losing their home in a fire.
The Shelton family was decorating for Christmas on Dec. 6 when a propane heater in their shed exploded. They tried to put the fire out, but their fire extinguishers hadn't been recently checked and no longer worked. The flames then spread to the home, and Jennifer Shelton and her three sons lost everything, including the family car.
"This is my whole life, I had everything in there," Shelton said. "My kids grew up here and they made a lot of good friends here."
Shelton, however, is thankful no one was hurt.
"My son was in that shed, he was in there when it happened and I'm just so glad that nobody was hurt and everybody got out," Shelton said. "Because I couldn't imagine going through this, plus having a hurt child, or a dead child, God forbid. My heart just aches for people who do have to do that."
The fire was so large that a neighbor also suffered damage to their home.
"The house is uninhabitable," said Diane Fox, the Shelton's neighbor. "And if it's repairable, it will be months before I can move back in. I've lost a lot. It's a mess."
So far, Shelton says the outpouring of support for her family has been overwhelming.
"It just kind of restores your faith in humanity, you're so used to seeing all the bad all the time, so it's nice to see that people are behind you and willing to help," Shelton said.
If you would like to help out, the family has a GoFundMe account, which you can go to by clicking here.
