LANSFORD -- Fire wrecked a home in Carbon County, while killing a family pet and destroying Christmas presents for two children.
One of the fire victims is asking the community to lend a helping hand during this holiday season.
Fire victim Nicole Fink opened the front door of her home in Lansford and looked at the damage from an electrical fire.
"It feels like a nightmare and I just want to wake up. It's horrible. It's something that nobody thinks it will happen to them until it does," said Fink.
Nicole and her two children, Jasmine, 8, and Josh, 7, were not at home at the time. Nicole said she got word of the fire while at work.
"I just fell into a ball and I cried, and a bunch of ladies who are coworkers put me into their car and brought me home," said Fink.
When Nicole arrived home she found that her pet dog died and all the Christmas presents Santa delivered early for Jasmine and Josh were destroyed. Nicole said she needs a lot of help.
"The biggest help I could get is any donations I could get to get started. I am working, but I just started my job so I don't have money saved up so I can pick up and keep going," said Fink.
Already, the community is working toward helping Nicole and her children. Clothes and even toys are slowly being collected. Faith Richards of the Coaldale V. F. W. is leading the effort.
"Bad things happen to good people and it's unfortunate at this time of the year, however it's been very uplifting, the response of people we got in emails in people interested in helping," said Richards.
Donations for the fink family are being accepted at the V.F.W. post on Ridge Street in Coaldale.