PITTSTON -- A family in Luzerne County lost everything following a Sunday evening fire, and now a pizza shop in Pittston is accepting donations to help the family recover.
Maria Chacko is trying to stay upbeat and positive. Flames ruined her home in Pittston shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday, displacing her and her three children.
"My son smelled burnt rubber somewhere in the house. Then, he went upstairs and yelled, 'Fire!' and I ran upstairs just to see, and flames started shooting out of the house," Maria said.
"The whole entire house was all smoky. Then, the big cloud of smoke came out, and that's when I saw the fire," Anthony Chacko recalled.
This has been a very difficult time for the Chacko family. Maria lost her mother in October of 2016, followed by the passing of her father in January of 2017. Now, the home that the Chacko's have owned for 34 years is gone.
"I've been here 34 years, never been anywhere else, and I just lost them last year," Maria said.
April Stoss was next door when the fire broke out
"My fiancee was the one who got them all out of the house. We're just thankful that they're all out safe," said Stoss.
Maria works at Luna's Pizza in Pittston. The pizza place is now taking donations to help the Chackos get back on their feet.
"It's a tragedy that they lost everything, and we're very good friends with them. They're like family to us. Nobody should go through what they went through," Ness Marie of Luna's Pizza said.
"It means a lot. I love my boss. I love all my coworkers," Maria said.
Luna's will also have a benefit for the family this Sunday afternoon at the restaurant.