Beavercreek family spent first Christmas in their home two years after it was destroyed in a fire

WHIO Staff
·2 min read

Two years ago, a house fire forced a Beavercreek family out of their home on the morning of Christmas.

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Today, that family was able to return back to their home just in time for their favorite holiday tradition, to turn their home into a Christmas show for residents to enjoy.

News Center 7′s Brandon Lewis spoke with the Drake family about their winter wonderland tradition and what it means for the family to be back in their home on Christmas this year.

“I kind of look at it as we’re putting on a show but we’re trying to teach them about the spirit of Christmas,” T.L. Drake said. “My dad, Thurman Drake, built almost all of the things that you see out in the yard that people love so much and he did it for 30 years in Zanesville and this is my sixth year doing it here but my first year without my dad, he passed in February.”

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Thurman started the family tradition and T.L. plans to do his best to continue it, despite what he has been through the past few years.

In the early morning hours of Christmas in 2020, a fire broke out at his home on Lemcke Road in Beavercreek.

“We just felt super blessed that we just got out alive because I don’t know how much longer before the whole house would’ve gone,” T.L. said.

The house was severely damaged, leaving T.L., his wife and their dog to stay in a condo for over a year as they rebuilt the house.

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“It was so important to us, we had the offer not to even move back in this house and to sell it and go on but we wanted to be back,” T.L. said.

The Drake family spent their first Christmas back in their home again by opening presents, and making phone calls to loved ones.

T.L. and his wife consider this home their retirement home so this is where they plan to be moving forward.