Hundreds Rally To Help Plainville Family After Deadly House Fire: ‘They Lost Everything’
As the family works to rebuild, the horrific fire that destroyed a Connecticut house and killed a brave fireman has sparked an outpouring of solidarity.
Early on Sunday, July 27, Valerie Cancellieri and her mother, Cathy, lost everything in a house fire in Plainville. According to a fundraising, they intend to rebuild in the neighborhood where they have resided for over 30 years.
On the morning of Sunday, July 27, Valerie Cancellieri was in bed at her childhood home located at 45 Maria Road in Plainville when she heard a sound. According to a GoFundMe page, she was confronted with a wall of flames when she got up to investigate.
As they raced outside, she called 911 and hurried to wake her mother, Cathy, whom she looks after. The family had resided in the house for over 30 years until it was destroyed by fire.
Their grief was exacerbated when Raymond Ray Moreau, a firefighter in Plainville, was killed after a piece of equipment fell off and collided with him while he was fighting the fire.
Although firefighters from Bristol, Farmington, and Southington raced to help extinguish the fire, the house was rendered uninhabitable by the smoke and flames.
Because, in Lauren Frazer’s words, the Cancellieri home was always more than just a house, she started a GoFundMe to assist them rebuild after being moved by their loss and the family’s legacy of giving.
“Everyone was always welcomed with open arms (and a full plate of food) in the Cancellieri household when we were in our teens and twenties,” Frazer wrote. Nobody was permitted to be unfamiliar. They are a lovely, devoted family.
Now, that kindness is being returned. The fundraising has received contributions from nearly 300 people, many of whom included notes describing how the family has previously assisted them during difficult times. The campaign has raised over $25,000 of its $35,000 target as of Tuesday afternoon.
It’s yet unknown how much damage has been done. According to Frazer, the family is still determining what may be saved, but they have probably lost everything, including heirlooms and family photos.
For the Cancellieris, the fire is the most recent setback in a string of challenging years.
Salvatore Cancellieri, the family’s patriarch, passed away in 2020. Substitute teacher Cathy subsequently had a stroke. Her primary caregiver, Valerie, has been assisting her in regaining her independence, and they hope she will be able to resume her favorite job—teaching children.
Despite always being the first to provide a helping hand to a friend, Frazer claimed that she established the fundraiser because she knew Valerie wouldn’t seek for help herself.
“Every single dollar counts and will help them with purchasing home goods, clothing, appliances, furniture, all of Valerie s equipment for her remote job in admissions, and everything else as they restart from scratch,” Frazer stated.
Click here to learn more about the GoFundMe.
