Fifty-six Palos Hills residents were displaced following an early morning fire Christmas Day, but the American Red Cross and community members are trying to help them through a trying time.

The fire was reported at 2:50 a.m. at 9954 S. 84th Terrace, in the 40-unit building, said North Palos Fire Protection District Chief Paul F. Mackin. The fire was struck at about 4:30 a.m., and there were no injuries, Mackin said.

The chief said the fire apparently started in a lower-level utility room, but the cause remained under investigation Saturday.

The Palos Hills building commissioner deemed the building uninhabitable. The American Red Cross, in a Facebook post, said volunteers are assisting residents by providing safe places to stay, offering health services and delivering meals. Officials ask those in need of assistance to call the Red Cross dispatch line at 877-597-0747.

Several Palos Hills residents are also stepping up to help fill the gap when emergency assistance runs out.

Michelle McDougall, of Palos Hills, posted to The Palos Hills Community group on Facebook that she was starting a Google Doc to help catalog the residents, their specific needs and how people can get in touch if they are interested in helping. By Saturday afternoon, she had four families on the list.

“Right now, I’m just trying to find the families so we can help them,” she told the Daily Southtown.

McDougall said she does not have any specific ties to anyone in the building, but as a resident in town she wanted to help. She said she knows many will continue to have needs and is trying to figure out how to facilitate help.

“We don’t know what their long-term needs are,” McDougall said, who invited people to contact her at mickeymo97@gmail.com.

Julianne Zurzolo, of Palos Hills, also stepped up despite not know anyone who lives in the building. She said she thinks finding assistance may be harder for these families during the COVID-19 pandemic. She launched a Meal Train campaign to help.

“If everyone helps a little, our small, wonderful town can help our fellow residents who need it,” Zurzolo said. “If you are unable to help at this time, please say extra prayers for all the tenants and keep them in your thoughts.”

Laura Rocha, one of the residents, said she, her partner, their dog, two tortoises and two turtles moved to the Green Tree Condominiums at the beginning of 2020. She and her boyfriend were out celebrating Christmas Eve at her mother’s house when the fire started, and were returning home about 3 a.m.

“We had seen the lights from down the street and thought someone was getting towed,” Rocha said. “As we drove up closer, we noticed all the fire trucks and ambulances and cop cars. We right away ran to see what was the issue. When we saw all our neighbors and their pets outside with them, I immediately panicked seeing all the smoke in the building.”

Rocha said they literally dropped their Christmas gifts and ran into the building, despite fire crews trying to stop them, to get their dog.

“We couldn’t see anything — smoke everywhere,” Rocha said. “We went into our unit and tried finding him and couldn’t see him. … It was almost impossible to see. I just remember the fear of knowing I could lose my best friend.”

Rocha’s boyfriend ultimately located the dog and their tortoises. Though she said the dog is “on edge” following the incident, all of the pets are otherwise in good condition.

But the experience of losing everything they owned has proved traumatic. Rocha said they passed on renters’ insurance, so the fire was a total loss.

“Everything in the first room was destroyed, which was all my belongings and important files and things I’ve kept for years,” she said. “It broke my heart seeing all my hard work and money just gone in a blink of an eye.”

Rocha said the Red Cross has been amazing and provided them a place to stay and food until Monday. After that, she said they will stay with family. They also created a GoFundMe campaign to help them find a new home and get back some of the things they lost.

“I don’t expect anything, but I appreciate all the help we have been receiving from people, and I am truly blessed and touched at everyone’s kind words and donations,” Rocha said.

Rocha’s story is just one of many. She said she hopes if people take anything away from it, that they recognize what is most important in their lives.

“Please, please appreciate the little things, because in a blink of an eye you can be left with nothing,” Rocha said. “Thankfully my babies and my partner are OK, and in God’s hands we will restore ourselves and one day pay it forward to someone else in need as we are in today.”

Shari Schmidt, of Palos Hills, is also working to help the residents. She said she has daughters at Stagg High School who know students who live in that building. She said learning about the fire on Christmas was overwhelming.

“You put yourself in that situation,” Schmidt said. “They’re left with nothing.”

She and a group of residents decided to collect gift cards from restaurants and Walgreens, Target and Walmart. She is collecting them in a box on her front porch at 9931 S. 86th Court. E-gift cards can be donated by contacting McDougall.

Schmidt said the idea is that food and toiletries will be the biggest needs up front. And the hotels where some residents are staying are near Target and Walmart locations.

Like others, Schmidt posted that call to action in The Palos Hills Community group on Facebook, where updates are being posted regularly. She said people have already been incredibly generous.

“The community group has been really amazing,” she said. “It’s really amazing to watch a group of strangers come together to help a group of strangers.”

Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.