(Memphis) More families are homeless this brutal winter after losing their homes in a fire.
Just last month, the Mid-South Red Cross said it helped families involved in more than a hundred separate fires.
John Hamilton is one of them. On Friday, the 69-year-old stood on a mountain of debris that used to be his home.
“I’m trying to salvage some personal things,” said Hamilton.
He said he left a heater on for his dogs a couple weeks ago when the temperature dipped to ten degrees.
He thinks one knocked it over sparking the fire.
“(The Red Cross) helped. They helped a lot,” said Hamilton.
After the fire, the Red Cross put Hamilton and his wife in a hotel for a couple days and got them some new clothes and food.
“On average, we respond to 50 or 60 a month,” said Kim Cribb with the Mid-South chapter.
Cribb said the Hamiltons are one of hundreds of families they’ve helped this winter.
The non-profit responded to 103 fires in the Mid-South last month – a new record.
According to FEMA, close to a thousand people die each winter in house fires.
“It really takes a toll on you, but we are just glad we can help,” said Cribb.
Hamilton said there was little left to salvage.
Right now, he’s living in a RV across the street from the mountain of debris that used to be his home.
If you would like to help the Red Cross, right now they need volunteers. Click here to learn more.