How To Help Families Who Lost Pets, Belongings In $5M Townhome Fire
ABERDEEN, MD — Several fundraisers have been created to help some of the families affected by the Saturday night blaze that caused three townhouses in Aberdeen to collapse, displacing 18 people and injuring a firefighter.
Crystal Blumberg owns a pet care business in Harford County. One of her clients lost their home and their cat in the fire, so she set up a GoFundMe to help them rebuild.
“I provided pet services for their cat. They are wonderful people and I loved their pet very much. I feel heartbroken for them,” Blumberg told Patch. “The money donated will go directly to them so they can have assistance while getting back on their feet.”
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Multiple residents of the townhouses called 911 about 10:45 p.m. after hearing several explosions in the 4700 block of Witchhhazel Way in Aberdeen, Patch reported.
Nearly 70 firefighters responded from Abingdon, Aberdeen and surrounding departments to the two-alarm fire, which took around two hours to control. The fire caused three of the homes to collapse and the others sustained extensive fire, soot and water damage.
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The heat from the fire was so intense it caused extensive heat-related damage to multiple other nearby homes, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office. In total, officials have estimated damages to be $5 million.
One firefighter suffered a non-life-threatening medical issue, officials said. A team of deputy state fire marshals worked throughout the night to determine the origin and cause. They determined that the fire started at the rear area of one of the middle units, but have not yet released a specific cause.
Kyle Rothrock, president of the Hollywoods II HOA, set up a GoFundMe to help all of the residents who lost everything they had in their homes.
“The families literally only have the clothes on their backs. This was a terrifying event for these families as well as the whole community. The local community has banded together and small donations of clothes and supplies are collected but this is just the beginning for these families and they will need a lot more. The community is asking for everyone come together and donate to this cause to help these people out … Thank you very much for your generosity in this devastating time; the families will greatly appreciate your donations,” Rothrock said on the GoFundMe page.
Ramona Johnson set up a GoFundMe to help her friend Chantill and her husband Sam who are staying at a hotel and lost everything in the massive fire.
Grant Craig’s daughter, her husband and children also lost their home and all their belongings in the massive fire. He has set up a GoFundMe to help them.
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