GAINES TOWNSHIP, Mich.--A family of four is still living in hotel rooms after a fire destroyed their home.
You may recall a house fire in Gaines Township in October that took more than six hours to put out, well that home belonged to the Ostranders. And with the holiday season here, the family is trying to piece their lives back together in hopes of finding a new place they can be thankful for.
On October 26th was when the unexpected happened at the Ostrander's home in Gaines Township.
"When I got home it was just like a normal day and then 20 minutes later it was chaotic," says Randy Ostrander, lost home in fire.
"All of a sudden black smoke was coming out of the upstairs hallway door," says Riley & Isaac Ostrander, Randy's son.
"Next minute I know my kids are like fire, fire, dad smoke," Randy continues.
The family rushed out of the house and watched for hours as four fire departments worked together to put the out the flames.
"I was in tears, I was like what am I going to do," Randy says of the moment.
Randy's boys told me they are focused on the only thing they can do, survive.
"It's been almost a month since the fire so we've been, it's been really rough on us just to be able to survive without a home," Riley and Issac tell FOX17.
Since the day of the fire Randy, his two sons, and his mother have been living in hotels, all while searching for a place to call home.
"It's a real struggle, it's not like I was prepared to have to move. I don't have that kind of money I'm a single dad," Randy says.
Even though times are hard Randy tells me he does have something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
"The one thing I'm grateful it didn't happen at night because if it happened at night there's a very good chance I could've lost somebody. Just the thought of that breaks my heart let alone what I know they did loose already and we lost. Materials can be replaced bodies can't," says Randy.
The family says they've been living in different hotels, getting food from a local pantry, and clothing from their church but finding a stable place to live is what they need most. The family has set up a Go Fund Me page, click on this link to help this family get back on their feet.
