A family was left homeless on Christmas Eve after a fire ripped through its Trenton home Tuesday afternoon.

"I went to school, [and] when I came back, I saw the house was burning,? says 14-year-old Marimar Rivera.

Rivera adds that her family lost everything in the blaze, including Christmas presents.

In an effort to make the holiday a little bit more joyful for the devastated Riveras, their neighbors have installed a collection jar to raise money for the family of five. The local fire department also pitched in, giving the family $800 in gift cards and cash.

"When the crew reported to duty this morning, we decided we wanted to help out this family as much as we could,? says Chief William Paradiso, of the Trenton Fire Department.

The Rivera family stayed at a local motel Tuesday night, but they say they plan to spend the holidays at the house of one of their neighbors.

The fire marshal?s office is still investigating the blaze, but officials believe it was probably caused by careless smoking on a living room couch.