CLEVELAND — On Monday, the Red Cross was on the scene helping residents deal with all the destruction.
Investigators say an accelerant was used to set a house on fire in Cleveland's Cudell neighborhood, and they believe the arsonist poured a flammable liquid on the front porch. It set off an inferno that made its way to the owners' cars along with two neighboring homes on West 106th Street.
The couple lost their dog, Salami, and their cat, Evelyn, was also believed to be gone. A warrant has been issued for an arrest in the case, but the suspect has not been publicly named.
Hannah Lee set up a GoFundMe for the occupants, her friends Cecilia and Felipe. They escaped the fire with their 7-month-old child.
"My hope is that, at the very least, they can get new vehicles, try to maybe get some money for new furniture, clothes," Lee told 3News.
So far, hundreds have donated, and the fund has raised more than $55,000. Hannah says it was a miracle they made it out alive, and a second miracle would be the generous contributions towards the family.
But there is a third.
"[Cecilia] called me, and she's, like, hysterical," Lee recalled. "And I'm like, 'What's going on? What's going on? She's like, 'Evelyn was found! Evelyn was found!'"
They found the cat in a first-floor bathroom. Underneath a shower, there was Evelyn, after two days alone in the rubble. Lee owns a dog grooming business and helped clean Evelyn up.
"I just went in there on my day off and gave her a bath," Hannah said. "She was all covered with soot and black. Like, the water was black coming off of her."
Perhaps Evelyn represents the mythical phoenix rising from the ashes, a symbol of hope, of life, and of better things to come, even through difficult and challenging times. For Lee, it is amazing.
"She's alive, she's well, and so that was really great news for today."