Story told by Mandy McMahon 

"When I first got the call, I dropped to my knees," Tiffanee Green recalls the moment she learned her family's home was on fire. "When I drove up to my house, it looked like a bomb went off. All you could see was smoke going up."  

On December 15, 2023, Tiffanee and her children lost their home in Florence County, South Carolina. Thankfully, no one was home when the fire destroyed the house.  

"It took seven fire trucks to put out the fire. As the firefighters put out the fire, I just started thinking, 'God, please keep them safe.' For the material side of it, I hate to lose my stuff, but I'd hate for somebody to lose their life to put a fire out. That's all I was thinking about."  

Tiffanee remembers how the paramedics comforted her and brought her a blanket as she stood in the cold, watching the blaze engulf her home and all of the family's possessions. One of the firefighters told her this was the most challenging fire he'd encountered in his career.  

"To stand there and watch all of your belongings burn, it was devastating to see. I couldn't even cry," Tiffanee describes her shock at the scene. "We have to start all over. I didn't know how to start or where to start." 

"Afterward, I contacted the Red Cross. They were so nice and sweet. I didn't break down when the house was on fire, but I broke down when I was in their office," Tiffanee describes meeting the two responders who provided comfort and distributed immediate financial assistance to her family. "I remember the lady, Kara, asking me, 'Are you ok?' and I burst out crying. She said, 'This is your first time letting it all out, isn't it?' and I said 'yes.'"  

It was several days before Tiffanee could bring herself to visit what used to be her home. The family had gone to the house to see if anything was salvageable, but they only found ash.  

"I saw our pictures all melted together. It's just sad all the memories are gone; everything is gone. The fire burnt all the way through the floor," said Tiffanee. "As the days go by, you start remembering things you've lost, like laptops for school and certain outfits you had. The most important part is that everybody is alive and that there are a lot of people who actually care and have helped us out."  

For now, Tiffanee and her children are staying with a friend. While she focuses on recovering from the fire, she is also studying to be a nurse and working as a substitute teacher.  

"I don't want what happened to me to stop me from reaching my goals as far as my education. My education is what will get me back on my feet," said Tiffanee. "The Red Cross helped a great deal; that's where we got most of our resources from.” 

YOU CAN HELP families impacted by disasters like Tiffanee's by making a gift to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Financial contributions enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 800-RED CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.