Family loses home in devastating fire on Christmas Eve

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A local family is working to figure out what to do next after a Christmas Eve fire destroyed their home.

They're now staying at a Cherokee County hotel and met with Channel 2's Aaron Diamant at the remains of their home where they said they remain grateful and hopeful.

Melinda Jordan walked Diamant around the burned-out home outside Ball Ground, which she’d shared with her parents and nephew for the last 20 years.

“I don’t have words. I don’t have words,” Jordan said.

Jordan thinks the Christmas Eve fire started in the kitchen.

“This came at the worst time of the year, as with everyone else, with Christmas you hardly have any money left over after buying Christmas presents, and everything we had for Christmas was in the house. Everything we were given, or had got to give, was in the house. It was all destroyed,” Jordan said.

The family was out doing some last-minute Christmas shopping when fire broke out, so no was home.

"If we had been at home at the time, I don’t think that either one of us would have made it out of the fire alive,” Jordan said.

And while her family survived, when she returned home, she learned her three dogs did not.

“I was praying to God that my babies had gotten out, but unfortunately, all three of them passed away in the fire,” Jordan said.

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A devastating loss for Jordan , but in the spirit of the holiday, she said her community is coming to help.

“I’ve got friends all over Facebook asking, ‘OK, what do you need? What can I help you with?’ So I have all my friends and family are rallying around me,” Jordan said.

Jordan calls this a source of strength.

“I’m extremely grateful. That’s the only thing keeping me going,” Jordan said.

It turns out, this wasn’t the first home the Jordan family lost to a fire at Christmas time. Jordan was just 9 years old the last time. Jordan said she does have insurance which will help with the hotel and ultimately a new home.

Cox Media Group