Lacey family ‘starting from scratch’ after Christmas Day house fire

Dec. 30--Clothing and furniture can be replaced.

But Kristen Doig of Lacey is learning that it's the little things -- items like a set of keepsake "Baby's First Christmas" ornaments and her collection of oil lamps -- that are irreplaceable.

The South Puget Sound Community College student and her three children, ages 2, 7 and 10, lost everything when their home in the 4500 block of Ruddell Road caught fire Christmas Day. Their pet cat, Diamond, also perished in the blaze, which was reported by a neighbor at 7:33 a.m.

"It went pretty fast," Doig, 30, recalls while standing by the charred shell of her former home in the Crestwood Park Mobile Home community Thursday morning. "... Like minutes."

The blaze began in the living room before engulfing the three-bedroom home.

"The fire investigation has the area of origin being near or in the Christmas tree," Lacey Fire District 3 Lt. Jason Berman said Wednesday. "But the exact cause and manner is undetermined at this time."

Doig said she and her boyfriend were alerted to the fire by her father, who was visiting from Oklahoma. He was on the couch when he noticed flames coming from the Douglas fir Christmas tree, she said. Doig and her kids had cut the tree down at a South Sound farm.

"We usually always cut the Christmas tree down right after Thanksgiving," she said.

The three adults made it out of the home safely, although Doig's hair was singed when she went back in to grab her coat and car keys.

Her children were at their father's for the holiday.

"Whatever they picked to wear to their dad's is all they have," Doig said.

The fire is a reminder that cut Christmas trees need to be watered and maintained and recycled promptly when the holiday season is over, Berman said.

"The presence of a Christmas tree that was cut the day after Thanksgiving in a home that is small and surrounded by furniture produced a significant amount of heat and fire in a short period of time," he said. "The occupants of the home were extremely lucky to have escaped and I am very grateful that the children were not home at the time of the fire."

Berman said the fire also should serve as a reminder that all homes should have functioning smoke detectors in place.

Doig's family members have created a GoFundMe account under "Kristens's Family Fund" and are collecting furniture and clothing donations for her and the children.

As of Thursday evening, $2,440 had been raised on the site.

"I'm really amazed that we got the support that we have," Doig said. "Everything is greatly appreciated."

Doig moved to the area about seven years ago and was buying the home from her mom. She didn't have home insurance, so she's starting over from scratch.

"Housing is going to be my biggest obstacle," Doig said. "They told me it was all six-month waiting lists, so I could be displaced for a while."

For now, she said she wants to focus on bringing routine to her children, "and try to make things as comfortable and normal as we can."

Her oldest two children are scheduled to return home from their father's home Friday, and a crisis counselor will be on hand to help them talk about the fire, Doig said.

Family members and South Sound contractors plan to volunteer their time to demolish the home, said her mom, Kelly Jones.

"We should have it cleaned up within a week," Jones said.

Want to help?

To donate to Kristen Doig's family, go to: www.gofundme.com/kristenss-family-fund, or call her aunt, Kari Brown, at 360-915-4392.

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