Glenpool Family Loses Everything In House Fire

A Green Country family is struggling to get back on their feet following a New Year's Day fire.

They lost furniture, clothing, appliances and toys.

Making it worse, all three of their dogs died and dad lost his job as an electrician days after the fire.

“We pull into our neighborhood, hope it ain't our house and getting closer to the street and it was our house,” Jeremy Vanwoudenberg recalled.

Caution tape along the fence is an eerie reminder of what happened on West 149th Street on New Year's Day.

The Vanwoudenberg's went out for ice cream, and during that 15 minute trip, a candle they accidently left burning caught their house on fire.

"Back here is where the fire started,” said Vanwoudenberg.

In the master bedroom, two candles burning on a dresser caused a lot of damage. The back bedrooms burned to the studs and the flames reached the hallway, living room, walls, ceiling and kitchen.

"I just started crying, man,” said Vanwoudenberg. “I lost everything. I grew up in this house since I was two years old. It was my mother's house; she died and left it to me."

The fire started in what used to be Jeremy's parent's bedroom. His room growing up is now his daughter's bedroom.

"This is my little four-year-old Shari,” he said. “She still digs out baby dolls.”

And it wasn't just items lost, the Vanwoudenbergs lost three dogs too,

"The ground was so hard and frozen, it took me seven days to bury these dogs,” said Vanwoudenberg.

But now, Vanwoudenberg is motivated for his family and his mom's memory to get the house up and running again even if he has to do it alone.

"I ain't had no help,” said Vanwoudenberg.

Right now, the family is staying with a friend next door.

Vanwoudenberg says they're hopeful that an organization will see this story and connect them with resources to rebuild their home and rebuild their lives. 

If you would like to help, visit the VanWoudenberg House Fire GoFundMe page.