JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The floor is caved in, smoke damage is everywhere and debris is scattered.
That’s the aftermath of a fire that damaged Amaris Peters’ Westside home Sunday morning.
Peters said she was at work when it happened.
“I wasn’t home, so I had to rush home to come find out that the house was burned down,” she said.
Peters said she only had one thing on her mind.
“My kids. My kids. Anything in this house can be replaced, but my kids, and mama OK -- I’m fine,” Peters said.
She said her children were asleep inside the home when her 11-year-old daughter smelled smoke and alerted the family to get out.
Peters’ two boys and two girls, ages 11, 5, 3, and 1, along with three other adults in the home, made it out safely.
Firefighters put out the fire that they believe appears to be electrical.
Peters said her house had already been without power -- and has made complaints about the issue in the past.
“Before the fire, the electrical is gone. It was already gone. It blew out,” she said. “Then on top of that, the ceiling in my daughter’s room keeps falling in.”
News4JAX reached out to the landlord, who said the family never contacted him about the issues before the fire.
With the amount of devastating damage, Peters is not sure where her family will go next.
The Red Cross is assisting the family.
Those wanting to help can donate to their GoFundMe page.