Fire Destroys Red Lake Falls Home

It's going to be a tough Christmas for one Red Lake Falls family after they lost there home to a fire Monday night.

Friends and family of Judy Tonelli look on at what used to be the home to her and her two boys.

Judy Tonelli/House Burnt Down: "The house I had was put on there in 1903 and it was a beautiful house."

On Monday night, after returning from her son's Christmas Concert, Judy found her home full of smoke and up in flames. Immediately her son Zak called 911 but the home wasn't able to be saved.

Judy Tonelli: "Everything was lost."

The Tonelli home is over 100 years old and insulated with flax straw, making it impossible for firefighters to contain the blaze once it started.

The next step now is cleanup and Zak says although it's tough to lose the house and the memories, he's ready to move on.

Zak Tonelli: "We've just been starting to clean and everybody came over and everybody's just been really nice around here and it's gonna be okay."

Firefighters did manage to pull a few photo albums from the home and one special ornament off the tree that memorialized her brother who had passed away two years ago.

Judy Tonelli: "They were able to find it, there was only three bulbs that didn't get cracked and this one has little burn marks on it but you can read all the words on it, so that is very precious and that'll continue to go on the tree forever."

Although their house full of memories is gone, neighbors Ben and Melissa Benoit have offered the Tonelli's a home, only a few houses down from where there's once stood. Today, neighbors got together to help clean that home, making it ready for the Tonelli's to move in.

Alice Conwell/Neighbor: "We all came in last night to see it and we were all smiling it's like okay this can feel a safe have then for there family while they figure out what to do next."

Judy said she had insurance and plans to rebuild but it won't be like what they had before. And although it's tough to lose everything she owns, she's in good spirits, grateful that no lives were lost in the fire.

Judy Tonelli: "Everything was just things, the family was okay so we didn't lose anybody."

Tags: reporter stories, christine boggy, news, fire