Mobile home fire leaves Christmas family homeless

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A mobile home in Christmas caught fire Saturday afternoon, leaving a family without a place to live.

Flames engulfed the home on Bartholomew Street shortly before 2 p.m., Orange County firefighters said.

Stephen Cullum told Channel 9 he was devastated to watch his childhood home burn to the ground.

“This is kind of a tragedy, really,” he said. “I haven't lived out on the property since I was a little boy, but I still have a sentimental attachment to it, of course.”

Both Cullum and his sister were in the home at the time of the fire, which firefighters said ignited in a bathroom. %

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Cullum said his sister had just bought the home from relatives Friday.

“She had planned to renovate the home,” he said. “Basically, rent it out for a small income when she retires.”

Family heirlooms and other mementos also went up in flames, he said. %

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“It's sad, but it's a relief,” Collum said. “I'm looking at my brother over here. He and my sister are OK. My neighbors didn't suffer any damage, so I'm thankful about that.”

No one was injured in the blaze, the cause of which continues to be investigated by the state fire marshal’s office.

Cox Media Group