BUFFALO, N.Y. — It has been a busy time for fire departments in Western New York.
A fast-moving fire ripped through a home on High Street in Buffalo's Fruit Belt neighborhood Tuesday morning.
One man inside was able to get out with some minor burns.
"We had heavy fire throughout the house mostly in the rear kitchen area spread to the front of the house then to the second floor," said Peter Kertzie, division chief for the Buffalo Fire Department.
A spokesperson for Buffalo Fire says there was clutter inside the home, but not an unusual amount for firefighters. The cause remains under investigation.
Monday morning two homes were destroyed by a fire on Hopkins Street in South Buffalo.
A family of nine lost everything. This fire remains under investigation as well.
On Sunday, a Lancaster family lost their home on School Street to a fire.
A mother and her kids rushed outside, when they saw smoke fill the house.
"It's just devastating just glad the kids are alright that they survived this it just spread so quickly," said Peggy Ludwig, the homeowner, who believes the fire started from her Christmas tree.
Since the fire, she and her family have been met with an outpouring of support from the community, with a Go Fund Me page set up and a fundraiser that was held Monday.
"I'm in shock, I'm so happy so thankful really the support I can't even express and how grateful I am and how happy this, my kids are going to be fine," Ludwig said.
Erie County Fire Safety has a message for folks this holiday season.
"In other years past we have done investigations that show that yes Christmas decorations are in deed about 50 percent of the cause of fires this time of year around the holidays," said Christopher Couell, deputy commissioner for Erie County Fire Safety. "Half the fires that we do see are started by candles so we want to make sure people are away of the safety of the candle put the candle where it's going to be in a safe area."
Erie County Fire Safety says their busiest three days for fires, all of them are around this time of year — Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
Another fire prevention tip — if you have a real Christmas tree, make sure there's enough water in the tree stand.
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