Fire displaces Peyton family ahead of the holiday season

PEYTON, Colo. (KRDO) - A family in Peyton, Colorado is displaced ahead of the holiday season after a fire tore through their home, burning it to the ground. Now, a Gofundme seeks to help the family pick up the pieces after their home burned to the ground on Tuesday.

"They're -- they're terrified. You know, it's first terror watching your home burn and the kids are just so sad and so distraught," Michel Vandever said.

She's a neighbor a few houses away and awoke to flames ripping through her neighbor's home Tuesday night. She says all of her neighbors have joined in the efforts to support the family.

"Basically, they all got out safely, but they only got out with the clothes they had on.  The kids were standing in the snow with no shoes watching their home burn and they were safe, but the home is completely gone," Vandever said.

The mother of the family had to go to the hospital for smoke inhalation after saving her children from the fire. The house is no longer habitable in any capacity. Vandever says that the Haiar family, whose home burned down, is planning on rebuilding. While insurance covers their costs, their immediate expenses are not taken care of.

That's why Michelle Vandever started the GoFundMe, to help the family rebuild after everything they had lost.

"We're not city folks, but we all know how to stay in touch with each other. And if you ever need anything,  there's a whole community to help," Vandever said.

Their next-door neighbor even pledged to do a one-minute cold plunge for each thousand dollars that the fundraiser brings in.

"Just to be recognized that, hey, you're important, you matter. And especially to us, you know," Vandever said.