BEAUMONT, Texas — A Beaumont family is without their home following a devastating fire a week ago.
Their home on Montrose Street, near College, was set ablaze after a car fire started unexpectedly and spread it to the house on November 5, 2023.
The family of 5 is currently living with relatives.
They lived in the house for 20 years, but are now displaced because of fire, smoke and water damage to the house.
The homeowner, Janet Chandler said she has been putting on a brave face for the past week and is always trying to look for the bright side.
While officials say her home isn't a total loss Chandler said it is a total loss to her.
Everything started around 8 p.m. Sunday evening.
"She heard a car alarm, and she didn't know it was mine. So she looked outside to see. And my car is going off and flames were shooting from my car," said Chandler.
That's when they saw Chandler's parked car was on fire and within seconds it spread from the car port to the home.
"And trying to run through each house and get all my house. We had three pets also and it happened in like a blink of your eye. It seemed like it happened that fast,"
Chandler and her family were forced to run outside with just the clothes on their backs.
After the fire was put out the family sifted through the charred remains, looking for anything they could salvage. Hoping that the sentimental items were okay.
"Physical things can be replaced, but you know like old pictures and stuff like that," said Chandler.
Mostly everything was destroyed, and starting over is hard, so now she is leaning on her community for help.
"You know we are all staying in different places, at four different houses. So it's hard because we are a family of 5. It's just been really stressful. I'm underinsured, and I'm not insured of the loss of property of my house. and the loss of use of my house," Chandler said.
The GOFUNDME is the first step in order to rebuild, and so far Southeast Texas has offered nothing but their love and support to the Chandler family.
"An 81-year-old woman from Lumberton saw the story about the fire, and she drove down and asked if she could help me. which really touched my heart," Chandler said.
No one in the family has suffered any physical injuries.