SOUTH CHINA, Maine (WABI) – As people get ready to bring in the new year with a celebration, Leslie Lacasse says she will be combing through the rubble of what’s left of her home.

“I just want my stuff back, I’m grateful but i want my stuff back,” Lacasse said.

It all started Wednesday when Lacasse borrowed her neighbor’s car to go to the store. She said she was gone for maybe 20 minutes and left two of her space heaters on.

“I always unplug it, I always unplug those heaters,” she said

Mistakenly, she says not this time.

“When I drop my neighbors car off, I always look at my home from the steps,” Lacasse said.

That’s when she noticed smoke coming out from the roof of the home. Lacasse says she ran to her home.

“As soon as I opened that window, pitch black, I mean it was blacker than tar and it just hit me,” Lacasse said

Her home was engulfed in flames. She says lost everything including the stash of money that was laying on what used to be a counter top.

“I had two thousand dollars in cash to fix my car, I am a waitress so I just saved up one’s fives tens,” she said.

Moments after speaking with us, Lacasse went into the home for the first time. She found what’s left of her family albums, some with her son who was there to share in the moment.

“I believe this is my first Halloween,” Leslie’s son said.

“where you a spider?” Leslies asked.

He said no.

Leslie said “that was your second Halloween.”

She even found the stash of cash that partially survived the flames.

“I cant even believe anything came out of that. you know what I mean. like, its amazing but I know its probably no good.”

With no home insurance or a place to call home, Lacasse’s neighbor, Melissa Poirier, started a go fund me account to help her rebuild. She also provided Lacasse with a room in her home.

” I did everything I can possibly think of and even when i came back from that, I would think of things that she might need tomorrow or her medicine, umm sneakers for work so I brought her to get a few things. and a lot of people have been generously helping,” Poirier said.

With guilt and sadness in her heart, Lacasse said she is going to take it one day at a time and is grateful for the community support.

“I am going to go to work, and keep working and I am grateful to all of you and anyone that helps and thinks of me in any way, not even in money but just that poor girl, thank you,” Lacasse said.

If you would like to donate to her go fund me account, click here.

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