Fundraiser Started For Duluth Family Who Lost Home + Family Dog In Weekend Fire
Tragedy struck a Duluth family last weekend when a fire engulfed their two-story home during the early morning hours on Sunday, January 29.
According to our media partners at WDIO-TV, the Duluth Fire Department responded to the fire at 6:43 am. At that time there were two family members, of a family of three, and several pets inside the house.
The Duluth Fire Department reported seeing heavy smoke coming out of both the attic and the second story. After going inside they reported heavy fire in the stairway leading up to the upstairs bedrooms.
Thankfully, the family managed to escape to safety along with two of their dogs. Sadly, one of the family's dogs perished in the fire and two of their cats were missing, although it's not clear if the cats escaped the blaze.
The fire did an estimated $150,000 worth of damage and on January 30 police investigators ended up condemning the home. With the family now displaced and without countless personal items, a GoFundMe page has been started by Chantelle Isaacson, one of the victims of the fire.
Chantelle told her story, which reads in part:
On January 29th around 6 in the morning my whole day started out upside down. I’ve never thought i’d see the actual day my childhood house burn, especially with me and my family in it. The fire ended up taking my dog Trixie, and our two cats jasmine and dumpling ended up missing, police say that they didn’t seem to be in the house so we are hopeful that they escaped. We've spent over 14 years in that house as we couldn’t afford to move. Money was scarce and it’s been a struggle for my mother of two kids to be keeping up with those bills and stuff but she always managed to do it. I would like to set this GoFundMe up in hopes to get my family in a good spot again.
Chantelle set up the page with an initial goal to raise $200,000 and as of Tuesday, January 31, just over $1,000 had been raised.
She says that any money raised will seriously help her family pay off the house as well as get clothes, beds, and other necessities. Chantelle also hopes they'll also be able to use the money to secure "a more stable home."
The family is also reportedly being assisted by both neighbors and the Red Cross as they look to get back on their feet.