Racine fire destroys house, Christmas presents

RACINE --  It is not the place the Martinez family imagined they would be spending Christmas: inside a hotel room, with little to no extra clothes, after their Racine house was destroyed by a fire.

Racine fire officials say the fire started on the first floor, and spread up into the second story of the house on McKinley Avenue. 

The Martinez's say they were visiting friends in Milwaukee.  No one was injured.

"I started screaming because I didn't really think it would be us," said Cassy Martinez.

She said all of her presents went up in the flames, along with all of their other items.

"All of our memories.  We just got our pictures done for Christmas and everything, like our presents for the kids," said Martinez.

A fire inspector says the house is almost a total loss. They have not pinpointed a cause for the fire yet.

"I couldn't believe it.  I mean a couple days before Christmas.  I didn't know what to think of it," said Martinez.

The family is in desperate need of donations.  They say they have little to no clothes or presents for the six and three-year-old girls.

If you would like to help, donations can be dropped off at the Radisson Hotel in Racine where the family is temporarily staying.

Radisson Hotel Racine Harbour Walk
223 Gas Light Circle
Racine, WI 53403