‘We have nowhere to go’: Vass family faces homelessness after fire

July 21--ABERDEEN -- The police officer's words were chilling.

"He goes, 'Please tell me that all your children are here,' " said Angel Shasteen. "I said, 'What's wrong?' He said, 'Your house just burned down.' "

Fortunately, none of Shasteen's children were in the family's mobile home on Aiken Road in Vass when it was destroyed by fire at around noon Tuesday. No one was injured in the blaze.

But all the family's belongings were destroyed, and Shasteen and her family are now scrambling to find a place to live. Currently, they are staying at the Aberdeen home of the mother of Shasteen's ex-husband, but Shasteen said they must leave there by Sunday.

"We're just going through a really hard time right now," Shasteen said. "I've only slept six hours since this happened."

The family is seeking help and has set up a Go Fund Me account to raise money for a new place to live, Angel said. The link is https://www.gofundme.com/ajerng-family-of-8-lost-everything-in-fire.

Angel, her husband, Greg Shasteen and their children Kevin Holt, 19; Holly McDougald, 16; Zakary McDougald, 11; Bentley Shasteen, 4; and Paisley Shasteen, 4; had lived in the trailer for about a year, Angel said.

Tuesday, Angel said she was with her children at a nearby park studying for a test to become an insurance agent when a policeman told them of the fire.

"We saw a fire truck, but we really didn't think anything about it," Angel said Friday, standing on the porch of her former mother-in-law's mobile home.

Angel Shasteen said the cause of the fire isn't known, but it may have been the electrical wiring. The family didn't have insurance.

All the family's belongings were destroyed, she said. The situation was made worse by the fact that the family's car was recently repossessed, and neither Greg nor Angel have a job right now.

Shasteen said the Red Cross gave the family $1,340 for lodging and food, but that amount won't go far. Other people have donated clothing, for which the family is grateful.

Shasteen said the family has been told they have to leave the trailer where they are currently staying by Sunday.

"We have nowhere to go," Angel said.

Shasteen said the Red Cross told her that she and her children could go to a women's shelter, but that her husband could not stay there.

"I said, we just lost everything we had in our life, my children don't want to lose their daddy, too," she said.

Phil Harris, executive director of the Sandhills chapter of the American Red Cross, said he is not able to comment on individual cases.

"We're helping folks with emergency needs right from the beginning," Harris said. "Our case workers continue to work with clients and connect them with resources that can help them with a new normal."

Harris said the Red Cross responds to all calls for help and tries to get to people within two hours of when disaster strikes.

Staff writer Rodger Mullen can be reached at [email protected] or 486-3561.

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