Winter Storm Causes House Fires, School Closings and Cancellations
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Danny and Cristy Gonzales lost everything in a house fire on Monday, Jan. 26.
When the winter storm hit Childress last weekend, it brought temperatures in the single digits, more than five inches of snow and left one family without a home.
In the early morning hours on Monday, Jan. 26 morning, Danny and Cristy Gonzales woke up to flames on their patio deck, according to their GoFundMe campaign. Danny, Christy and their family evacuated quickly, but the fire spread rapidly.
“They lost everything,” Childress Fire Chief Ralph Freeman said. “They lost their house and their vehicle.”
Freeman said the fire started on their back porch of their house, which was located at 1311 Ave. D NW. “The owner of the house told us they were trying to keep the dogs warm,” he added. “The fire spread throughout the whole house.”
The house eventually collapsed. Since the fire is still under investigation, Freeman said he couldn’t comment more on the cause.
“When we arrived on the scene, the fire had consumed 85% of the house,” Assistant Fire Chief Justin Willis said.
While fighting the fire, one firefighter was hurt. Freeman said he was taken to CRMC, and he’s been released. “He’s going to be sore,” he added. “But he’ll be fine.”
The Gonzales family was also taken to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation, according to their GoFundMe campaign. While one cat is missing and presumed lost, the other is at the vet fighting to recover from smoke inhalation.
The home is a total loss, and the Gonzales family is now facing the daunting challenge of starting over, their GoFundMe campaign stated. They are in urgent need of financial assistance to cover medical care, shelter, food, clothing and veterinary expenses.
For those who would like to donate, there is an account set up at First United Bank and their GoFundMe fundraiser is at www.gofundme.com/f/winter-storm-fire-destroys-family-home.
Despite this tragedy, Danny and Christy remain hopeful and are determined to rebuild the house they called a home for over 20 years, their GoFundMe campaign stated. They raised four children and poured their hearts into renovating their beloved two-story home.
They are deeply grateful for any support and promise to pay forward the kindness they receive, trusting in the Lord as they find a way to get back on their feet. Your generosity will help them through this difficult time and remind them that they are not alone.
The day before this fire, there was another one on the Rojas family’s property. “He had a heat lamp on the back porch to keep his dogs warm,” Freeman said. “He lost the shed, but the house is still livable.”
The fire was fully involved when Willis arrived. “Several propane tanks blew up,” he said. “Some puppies died in the shed.”
The shed backed up to Ben Cherry’s property, and his shed burned down too, Freeman said.
“There was a lot of equipment lost,” Cherry’s daughter Heather Williams said. “It was where he stored his work equipment.”
