Katrina Tyson’s family is starting from scratch. A fire on the morning of Aug. 17 destroyed the home they were renting in Cleveland’s Corlett neighborhood.
Tyson was on the second floor asleep with her 8-year-old daughter, Kamia, next to her. She said thick smoke quickly filled the entire space.
“(It) just filled with smoke, and it was so dark,” Tyson said. “Oh my god, you know, something is on fire. The Lord woke us up.”
Tyson said her teenage son, Kamani, was in a first-floor bedroom, and the smoke prevented them from getting to one another.
“Everything happened so fast,” Tyson said. “Mia’s (Kamia’s) coughing. I'm coughing because we couldn't catch our breath."
Tyson said she and her daughter managed to get a side room on the second floor and knew they had no other choice but to jump out the window.
“Came out the window with no broken bones; minor scratches,” Tyson said.
Kamani got out of the house too. They ran to neighbors' homes for help. Carolyn Perry lives next door and called 911.
“Once we called them, then the fire just broke out,” Perry said.
Perry provided blankets to the Tysons, who watched as firefighters sprayed water on their home.
Perry said God was watching over the family.
“And that was a blessing only from the Man up above, and I thank god. I thank God,” Perry said.
Tyson said her family is blessed despite losing just about everything in the fire.
“That is my testimony,” Tyson said. “It could have been so bad. My sister could have got the phone call that she done lost half her family in one night."
The Tysons attend the Freedom Empowerment Ministry Center. The church community is among the groups of people helping the family during this time of need. A GoFundMe has been set up to help support the family.
Tyson said she’s trying to collect whatever keepsakes possible. She was able to save a red rocking chair, now charred from the fire, that her grandfather made that’s been passed down through generations.
“It's been through,” Tyson said. “This chair is over 100 years old."
She said every family should have an emergency plan.
“Definitely have working smoke detectors. Next, trust God. Stay in your faith. Stay prayerful," she said.
Tyson said it’s also important to have good relationships with your neighbors.
“Love on your neighbors… because they were our first line of defense,” Tyson said.
Statistics from the Ohio State Fire Marshal show 11,136 residential fires in 2022. 146 civilians and one firefighter died in those fires.
Several fire safety resources can be found, HERE.
Those interested in a free smoke detector or help installing one should contact their local fire department or the Red Cross, which has the Sound The Alarm – Save A Life program.
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