FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A woman and her service dog are without a safe place to live ahead of the holiday season after a fire ravaged their home.
The residential fire was sparked along the 600 block of Arizona Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, at around 5 a.m. on Thursday.
The homeowner, Cheryl Clayton, spoke with 7News hours later. She said she has no idea where she and Dixie her service dog, will go from here.
“I need help,” she said. “It’s the straw that’s trying to break the camel’s back, but I’m going to keep my faith. I’m not a victim; I’m a conqueror, and I will get through this, but I’m very sad, and I feel like crying.”
Clayton said she and Dixie were sleeping when the fire alarms went off.
“I was sleeping with my service dog, Dixie, we sleep together. She is my comfort, and the fire alarms went off,” she said.
She said the fire spread quickly.
“I looked up, and I saw smoke coming from the living room area. I was in the hallway, and I panicked. I said, ‘Dixie, Dixie, the house burning down,'” she said.
Clayton said she panicked and ran out the house. Soon after, she realized Dixie was still inside and knew she had to do something.
“I ran back in. I snatched her. I snatched some stuff. You know what I picked up? I picked up my Bible, and I picked up Dixie. I ran outside,” she said.
Clayton couldn’t find her phone to call 911, so she ran for help. She said she was turned away.
“I went next door, and I knocked on the neighbors’ house. They were awake; they shut off all the lights, and they were silent,” said Clayton. “Went to another house, woke up a guy, he got very angry at me and slammed the door in my face. [I was] begging him to call 911.”
Clayton risked her life, but she said she had no choice as she watched her home burn.
“I ran back in, I got some more stuff,” she said. “I went in there about four times, and the fourth time was to find the phone. I couldn’t find the phone.”
She finally located the phone and called 911.
By the time fire rescue arrived, Clayton and Dixie had safely evacuated the home.
Officials said, though the house was filled with heavy smoke, they did not locate an active fire.
Crews opened windows to ventilate the home.
The interior of the home sustained extensive damage, items were charred, and the walls were covered in soot.
This fire has turned Clayton’s life upside down. Many of her belongings were lost in the blaze.
“I’ve never been through a fire before. It’s awful. It’s not right. I can’t take any more stress. It’s too much,” she said.
Clayton is on disability, lives on a fixed income and cannot afford to rebuild. Nevertheless, she remains optimistic.
“To all the people out there, I just want to say I have an immutable heartbeat of love, and my philosophy in life is that love is the only power to be reckoned with,” she said. “However, I’m really sad, and I just don’t want to fall apart on camera. Thank you for any help.”
The cause of the fire remains unclear.
Clayton’s son, who lives out of town, has created a GoFundMe account on her behalf as her home is currently uninhabitable. If you would like to donate, click here.
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