Clark County firefighters deliver Christmas for family who lost home in fire

Santa stepped out of a firetruck in North Las Vegas Tuesday morning to deliver more than 60 presents to four children who lost their home in a house fire last month.

Aria, 4, Ein, 6, EJ, 8 and Ethan Runyan, 10, ran to the curb around 10 a.m. to find a Paramedic Rescue truck and a yellow firetruck with sirens flashing outside their great-grandmother’s home near Lamb Boulevard and Craig Road after Operation Fire H.E.A.T bought the children 15 presents and a new bike each.

Santa introduced his helpers, six Clark County firefighters, who carried boxes wrapped in blue and silver and decorated with snowmen. The firemen also delivered three bicycles and a tricycle, which the four children took off on in minutes.

Aria first needed to ask Santa if the bike would be magic, and where his other elves were. Santa told her the bike might be magic if she pedals fast enough and the other elves were “still packing stuff” for Santa’s grand journey Tuesday night.

The family was chosen after a fire destroyed their home in Overton on Nov. 5, displacing the four children, their parents and their grandparents Christine and Michael Marshall.

“We couldn’t have asked for anything more. They’ll remember it forever,” Christine Marshall said. “We went through something tragic and yet we still have so many blessings. To say thank you just isn’t enough.”

Operation Fire H.E.A.T., or the Holiday Emergency Assistance Team, is run entirely by firefighters and dispatchers across the valley who for 13 years have been helping to replace Christmas for families who face “catastrophic house fires” between November and Jan. 15, according to H.E.A.T. secretary Rochelle Rowell.

“As you can all imagine, losing your home and your belongings at any time is devastating, and over the holiday period it’s even more stressful and more devastating,” Rowell said. “We don’t want the children to associate what was possibly the most traumatic and terrible day of their lives with the fire department and firefighters.”

This holiday season alone Rowell said CCFD has helped six families, including up to 26 children. She tries to bring the firefighters who first responded to the call on the deliveries.

“I try and get them to come to the call so that they get some closure from it as well,” she said. “Most of us have small children and we know what it would feel like to have the financial stress and the burden of dealing with losing our houses and all our belongings during the holiday period.”

Michael Marshall held back tears as he thanked the firefighters for their visit.

“The kids will treasure this moment for sure,” he said. “We’re grateful for everybody.”

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.