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Family loses nearly everything in house fire – then burglars strike

Posted at 7:34 PM, Nov 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-22 21:34:48-05

BRUNSWICK, Ohio - An Ohio grandmother and her family lost nearly everything when her house went up in flames - then a thief broke into the home and stole the remaining valuables, according to WJW.

Lisa Rickard, who is battling lung cancer, woke to the sound of her 15-year-old dog Angel barking, alerting her to the flames. Rickard tried to find her other dog, Lucky, but was overcome by the smoke and started screaming for help.

Fortunately her neighbor heard Rickard's screams, called 911, and convinced Rickard to climb out of a second story window onto her roof, where she was rescued by firefighters.

Adding insult to injury, the day after the fire a burglar broke into the burned home and took what few items of worth were left - including a ring given to Lisa by her husband on their anniversary and a necklace.

Firefighters believe the blaze was sparked by a kitchen appliance.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the Rickard family.