CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Crews were working to put out a house fire in north Charlotte on Christmas Day.
It happened around 5 p.m. Wednesday in the 2600 block of Lasalle St. near Beatties Ford Rd.
Reports said smoke was showing from the house.
Neighbors alerted the person who was inside the home at the time of the fire. In all, four people were displaced because of the damage.
The fire started in an attached storage room and spread to the attic.
Charlotte Fire called the fire accidental, saying something combustible near the water heater may have sparked it.
The only person who was inside the home at the time the fire started was a sleeping teenage boy.
"I started smelling something. I didn’t know what it was, but I just got up, and I was like that doesn’t smell too good," Justin Navaez said.
The family was displaced, including a 4-year-old girl who lost most of her Christmas presents in the fire.
"Fire service never stops, and on Christmas Day, it’s especially tough when you see a family displaced," Battalion Fire Chief Joshua Johnson said.
In response, the fire department decided to donate Christmas gifts they still had available for the little girl to enjoy. Her mother, Shatasia Dunn, said she was overwhelmed with all the support but thankful she could surprise her daughter with a Christmas miracle.
"She just asked me about her gifts, and I told her, 'Well, I’m gonna see what I can save for you,' so she’s really looking forward to see what I can come home with," Dunn said.
The Red Cross assisted the family with their next steps.