The fire in the home was brought under control at 3:02 a.m. There were no injuries to any firefighters.
Fire investigators remind people not to leave candles unattended.
Unattended Candles Cause Overnight Fire In Dundalk
DUNDALK, Md. (WJZ) --A Christmas Eve fire devastates a Dundalk family.
Four people, including two children, were rushed to the hospital after flames sparked inside their home.
Meghan McCorkell spoke with the children's mother.
The mother says her family has lived in their home for 40 years and they are lucky to be alive.
"I can still taste the smoke," Mary Diffendall, a fire victim said.
On a day when Diffendall and her family should be eagerly awaiting Christmas morning, she's instead trying to salvage what she can of the holiday.
"I just wish Christmas was next week," Diffendall said.
At 2:26 a.m. Wednesday, Diffendall's 10-year-old daughter came running downstairs to tell her mother the second floor of their home on McShane Way was filled with smoke.
She quickly ran upstairs to her 3-year-old son's room.
"The baby was sitting next to the dog bed and it was just a ring of fire," Diffendall said.
Mary was able to get her children outside then went back in for her 73-year-old mother.
All four suffered from smoke inhalation.
Her mother, who suffers from COPD, is in critical condition at Bayview Medical Center.
"They don't think she is going to return to normal," Diffendall said about her mother's condition.
Investigators believe an unattended candle may have sparked the falmes.
Neighbor Jackie Levee woke up to chaos.
"I woke up by banging coming from the other side, and I saw the lights flashing on my wall going up the steps," Levee said.
She says it was hard to see something like this happening so close to the holidays.
"It's very difficult, very, but they've got plenty of support on both side here," Levee added.
As for Diffendall, she is thankful her family made it out.
"Thank goodness we weren't asleep. Thank goodness my daughter got m," she said.
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