Homeowner Describes Hainesville Townhouse Fire as 'Just a Blur'

Lieka Racho and her children were sound asleep when, suddenly, their lives changed.

A car crashed into the Hainesville family's townhouse on the 400 block of Patriot Drive at just 4 a.m. Oct. 25, sparking a fire that destroyed the home.

"It's just a blur. Things happened really quickly," said Lieka.

The crash woke her up, she said. Her husband, Eric, was at work at the time.

"I went down to check what had hit us," she said. "I could hear the car reversing."

When Lieka checked the garage, she could already see smoke. She had already called 911, and the operator told her to get her family out of the house.

"The kids were so good," said Lieka. "They were very quick to move and do what I said to do."

Lieka and her three children made it safely out of the house with just the clothes on their backs.

"My daughter didn't have any shoes. I didn't have a coat," said Lieka. "I'm just glad that we got out safely."

The Grayslake community is now stepping up to help the family. 

• Karen Policht, a waitress at Emil's Tavern on Center, donated all of her Oct. 26 tips to the family. She ended up collecting $600 that night, and her husband's construction company is matching those funds.

• Monday night, Emil's donated 10 percent of its sales to the Racho family. 

• More than $18,000 has already been raised for the family on the YouCaring fundraising website. In addition to the YouCaring website, residents are welcome to donate items to the Racho family. Contact the family at: rachofamilyrebuild@gmail.com, or visit the Racho Family Rebuild Facebook page.

• On Tuesday, Rock Chevrolet announced that they are donating $1,000 to the family. They will also donate $25 from every vehicle that is sold between Oct. 29 and 31. According to the Rock Chevrolet website, a donation area has also been set up at the cashier window for customers and employees to donate money.