West Warwick family loses everything in Christmas Day house fire, community rallies around them

By: Ellie Romano

Email: ERomano@ABC6.com

Twitter: @ERomanoABC6

WEST WARWICK, R.I. (WLNE) – A family of four is without a place to live after a fire tore through their home on Christmas morning.

The fire broke out at 95 Wakefield Street around 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

The family made it out safely. A firefighter was taken to the hospital for a minor injury.

The house is a total loss and now a husband, wife and their 18-year-old son and three-year-old daughter have to start over.

The community is rallying around the family, donating money, clothing, and even a place to stay.

The non-profit Angel in Action RI is collecting monetary donations for the family. 

“They have nothing. They left the house in a hurry. She just grabbed the baby and went out to the car,” said Debra Roffo, president of Angel in Action RI.

She said any monetary donation will help the family.

“I’ve been telling everybody $5-$10, it all helps. It all adds up and it’s been adding up,” said Roffo.

So far, they’ve raised more than $1,000. Roffo would like to raise several thousand dollars for the family to help them pay rent and purchase the essentials.

If you would like to donate to the family, you can do so through Angel in Action’s PayPay. Just specify it’s for “house fire” when submitting your donation.

You can also drop off or send money/check/gift card to 1542 Main Street, Suite 6, West Warwick RI, 02893. Make sure you note it’s for the house fire. If you drop your donation off after hours, there is a secured lockbox.

Members of the community are also organizing a fundraiser dinner for the family on January 5th at the Olde Theater Diner in Coventry. That will be from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Tickets will cost $15 and there will also be a raffle. All proceeds go to the family.

©WLNE-TV/ ABC6 2019