Fire ravages SE Houston family's home of 46 years, leaving elderly siblings with nothing

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It is hard to look at the house on Ridgeway in Houston's South Park neighborhood and not think about the memories.

"All our family gatherings are here. We do every holiday here. Everybody's birthday is here," said Crystal Hadnott.

For nearly 46 years, Constance Thompson called it home. Sunday night, she lost it.

"It just started raging and roaring. We lost everything," said Thompson.

Just as she was settling into bed around 9:30 p.m., Thompson smelled smoke and, by the time she got to the hallway, she saw fire. She immediately went to wake up her brother, Lawrence Jones, who lives with her. They got out safely.

RELATED: Houston mom and 11 kids lose home to fire just before Christmas

The Houston mother and her children were fortunate and escaped the burning home safely, but now they're picking up the pieces just before the holiday.

"I mean 76 and 79. That they actually got out safe. It's a blessing. Just a blessing," said Hadnott about her father and her aunt, Thompson.

At daylight they tried to salvage what they could. There wasn't much. Fire even got Thompson's car. The siblings' children and grandchildren are now rallying around them to provide shelter, food and clothes. The relatives worry about the long term. They say it was more than a house.

"I raised all my kids here. We've been through every hurricane here from Alicia on," said Thompson. "It's a lot of history here."

Thompson is grateful for the help from Houston firefighters who responded and kept the fire from spreading.

Investigators believe an electrical problem was the cause.

Thompson asks for prayers for she and her brother. Their children have set up a GoFundMe for donations.

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SEE ALSO: Good Samaritan rescues family from north Houston house fire

That north Houston fire was one of two major incidents that Houston firefighters responded to overnight.