Mary Hinton was supposed to begin preparing her Thanksgiving meal on Wednesday. Instead, the mother of nine children was staying at a local hotel with her family after their house caught fire.

Their Zebulon home caught fire early Tuesday morning, and Hinton believes it started around the oven, which she said was being used to heat their home at the time.

Hinton, her children and a cousin were all home and made it out safely.

"I was just thinking about saving my kids," she said.

Hinton and her kids, who range in age from one to 18 years, lost all their possessions and weren't sure where they could turn after their home burned beyond repair.

That's when the American Red Cross stepped in, providing a local hotel room for the family for at least a few nights, along with providing for a Thanksgiving meal at a local restaurant.

"I'm just thankful for my kids and my life, and my cousin's life," she said. "Just thankful we're here."