HUDDLESTON, Va. – A family in Bedford County is lucky to be alive after their home caught fire in the middle of the night.
Cheyenne Roach and her family were asleep in their Huddleston home when she said something woke them up in the middle of the night.
“We woke up. There was just smoke and we heard the smoke alarms and we saw the fire in the attic and we got out as fast as we could,” she explained while holding back tears.
Roach said investigators believe the fire started either from their woodstove or was electrical.
Bedford Fire Department arrived on the scene to battle the house fire.
Firefighter, M.J. McGinnis said this time of year, they’re busy battling house fires because of people trying to stay warm during the winter months.
“You want to make sure your fireplace is cleaned out and your chimney is cleaned out. Because you will have a lot of build-up and overtime that build-up can start to catch fire,” he said.
The Roach family made it out of their home with no injuries.
The family lost three guinea pigs and their entire home, but they’re already getting help.
A GoFundMe page is up and people have already started gifting clothes to the family.
“People far and right here at home are really helpful and I want to thank them all for it,” said Roach.
Some other tips to safely warm your home this winter: clean your furnace, fireplace, or space heater before turning them on, there can be dust and debris on them that can become flammable.
If you have a live Christmas tree or holiday decorations up this time of year, pay extra attention to them.
“If you have a real Christmas tree, make sure it’s watered. Make sure it has enough water so it doesn’t dry out and become flammable,” said McGinnis.
They said with a fake Christmas tree, you still want to be cautious to not overload your outlet with lights and other plugs.