SACRAMENTO, Calif — A single father and young son are recovering in the hospital after a Christmas Day house fire.
Firefighters found father Salvador and 4-year-old David, unconscious inside the burning home on Acacia Avenue in North Sacramento and brought them out to safety.
The two were identified only by their first names by family members.
Salvador’s aunt, Rosa Castellanos, said her nephew suffered third degree burns and smoke damage to his lungs, calling it a tragedy.
“My nephew is in critical condition. He can’t talk, he’s got tubes in him, he’s just barely opening his eyes,” Castellanos said.
She said David’s injuries are not as severe — minor burns to his nose and hands.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation; the effect on the family has been devastating.
“He automatically was left without a home, without work, his hands are burned and he can’t work. We don’t know how long he’s going to be in the hospital,” Castellanos said.
Castellanos called her nephew a hard worker and a fighter, “because he’s a single dad.”
The extended family is stepping up now to help, raising funds for medical treatments and living expenses on GoFundMe.