A slew of holiday fires in Fort Lauderdale left several families without homes on Christmas, requiring the intervention of local fire departments and the American Red Cross to provide aid and comfort. According to NBC Miami, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue crews responded to a fire that broke out early Christmas morning, rallying to collect $700 and purchasing gifts for a family devastated by the blaze.
Along with their fundraising efforts, firefighters also delivered food to those affected by the multiple incidents, as crews contended with three separate fires throughout the city on Christmas Day, including two trailers and another home that were significantly damaged, "A lot of us just realized that it's more than just the average call, What was probably one of the worst days of their lives could've been made a little bit better with today being Christmas," Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Chief Kimberly Wells stated as reported by NBC Miami—showing the department's commitment to community beyond their fire-fighting duties.
In a separate but related incident, a Fort Lauderdale church suffered severe damage after a fire engulfed the structure, while a day prior fires had torn through other residential properties, leaving multiple families and children without celebration or shelter, "Sadly, the last fire will impact a family’s Christmas, so crews took it upon themselves to replace many of the lost presents and provide Christmas meals," read a post by the fire department, according to an email to the Miami Herald by Garrett Pingol, executive officer with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue.
The American Red Cross stepped in to offer financial assistance and mental health services to those affected by the Christmas Day fires, with three children being among the individuals receiving support; moreover, the charity organization was actively involved in efforts to aid those impacted by a series of fires that included a church a house and an apartment over the same weekend though none of the events resulted in hospitalizations, all cases are undergoing thorough investigations to understand the causes, as explained in a Facebook post by the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, "It has been a busy and challenging Christmas weekend for crews at Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue."
