The St. Louis home of a family of 12 caught fire while they were sleeping. Now, they are struggling to find a new place to stay where they could all fit.
On the morning of May 26, the house of Tony Fisher, Arah Anderson, and their children caught a massive fire, so they stayed in a hotel. They lost nearly everything after the fire damaged their home.
Their 19-year-old daughter was in her apartment when the incident happened. All other family members got out safely from their home. Anderson told People that she was sad about the event but all the more for her children because they want to go home.
She said that it was the first time that she could provide them home, and it was out of her control.
Fisher quit his job before the pandemic
Since the pandemic happened, many families have been struggling because of layoffs and furloughs happening in various industries. The Fisher family is among those affected.
The family has been struggling for a few months now. The owner of his job forced the 43-year-old dad to quit at the end of March. For more than six years, he has been working as a housekeeper at the Marriott Grand Hotel in downtown Louis.
The family had a hard time feeding everyone without a steady income. They have a 14-year-old daughter, three sons aged 13, 11, and 6, a set of 5-year-old triplets, and 1-year-old twins. Anderson was working as a stylist at Nordstrom before she became a stay-at-home mom.
Now, she focuses on helping their children adjust to distance learning. Fisher and Anderson have been together for 18 years. They are also thinking of whether they should proceed with their wedding in September or delay.
Fire took everything
Without warning, the fire erupted and burned almost the entire home. Anderson said that they felt like "the twilight zone" because it was early morning hours when it happened. She and Fisher were sleeping soundly but had to scramble to gather their children from the fire.
She shared that she was scared and in a state of shock. The whole first floor was on fire, so they had to get out of the second-floor balcony door. Due to the adrenaline rush, the couple was able to save each member of the family. They tossed each child from the balcony with the help of a "random gentleman."
She said that the person came out of nowhere. It was her first time seeing him, Anderson added. She said a prayer after everyone escaped. She repeatedly checked to make sure all nine children are there.
No one is sure how the fire started. The St. Louis Fire Department and insurance company are investigating the incident. The fire department shared what happened on its Twitter feed.
The couple is struggling to find a house to fit their big family due to COVID-19. Anderson said that now is the worst time to experience something like that. Even though they succeeded in saving everyone, she is now losing control. The mother-of-ten said that she should make sure that her children are okay now.
The Fisher family has a GoFundMe page to help them buy the essential goods. As of writing, it has raised more than $26,000. Their loved ones also established a Facebook page named "Fisher Family of 12 Fire Restoration."
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