Fire destroys $30K in toys, leaving 1,000 Cleveland kids at risk of waking up giftless on Christmas

The holidays are quickly approaching, and right now, if Cleveland doesn't step up to help, 1,000 Cuyahoga County kids will not wake up to gifts under the tree on Christmas Day.

In May, a storage unit in which Greater Cleveland's Salvation Army held toys caught fire.

"It was pretty catastrophic. We lost about $30,000 worth of toys that was going to serve about 1,000 kids," Greater Cleveland Salvation Army Area Commander Captain Joel Ashcraft told us on Wednesday.

Ashcraft said the cause of the damage is electrical.

"No one's fault really. It just happens. It's one of those things that just happens, but the kids are going to be the ones paying for it, right? We don't want any kid to not have the holiday that they deserve," Ashcraft said. "Everything was completely lost. It was heartbreaking. You walked in and the smell was just overwhelming. We knew from the moment we set foot in the door that it was gone."

Ashcraft said the toys were either damaged by the fire or the water used to put it out.

The Greater Cleveland Salvation Army serves 6,000 children across the city and Cuyahoga County every year.

Ashcraft is hoping this year is no different.

The Salvation Army said its looking for toys in the $20-to-$30 range.

To donate a toy to a child in need, visit WalmartAngelTree.com. To make a monetary donation or learn more about The Salvation Armys Greater Cleveland toy efforts, call 216-861-8185 or visit SalvationArmyCleveland.com.

The goal is to have all gifts and ready to go by early to mid-December.

"We are counting on the city of Cleveland to step up and be some child's hero this holiday season and give a couple of toys to make sure we get it to the kids who need it the absolute most," Ashcraft said.