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‘Neighbors helping neighbors’: Community rallies around Cecil fire victims

7 min read
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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Four houses along Old Farm Road in Lawrence were devastated by a fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon. Homes at 1141 to 1155 were roped off Thursday morning.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

A hearing impaired woman was saved from this house by neighbor Ed Kramer after a fire broke out along Old Farm Road in Lawrence Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday morning, families who lost everything sat outside their homes, where they met with adjusters, called insurance companies and talked with supportive neighbors.

The Cecil community is rallying around neighbors whose homes were destroyed by fire Wednesday afternoon.

“This was one of our bigger fires in Cecil, for sure,” said fire Chief Noel McMullen, noting four homes on Old Farm Road in Lawrence were destroyed and two others damaged by fire or water. “There were quite a few homes that were damaged just from radiant heat. The heat that the fire was giving off … damaged siding. It’s vinyl, so it literally melts.”

On Thursday morning, the area from 1141 to 1155 Old Farm Road was roped off, and siding on homes both behind and across the street from that block was warped.

Georgetown Estates residents gathered outside, where a fire alarm could be heard blaring weakly, to offer support to neighbors who lost everything.

The neighborhood is banding together to help families in need. Lori Marr, who lives in the plan, started a GoFundMe Wednesday evening, and was shocked Thursday morning to see donations totaling more than $10,000.

“My hope was just to at least be able to give each family a couple hundred dollars,” said Marr. “I woke up to that $10,000. Some amazing person donated $5,000 just on their own. People are amazing. Even people donating $10 helps tremendously. I’m hoping it gives them a peace of mind: We’re all here, the community’s here, whatever you need.”

Marr learned of the fire about the time it broke out, shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

“My husband is a volunteer firefighter. His alerts went off. He ran outside, I heard him go screaming off in his truck,” said Marr, who stepped outside to watch him leave. “I heard an explosion. The house was engulfed. It moved very quickly. It sounded like fireworks. I couldn’t believe the houses burned down to the point that they did.”

The fire spread fast, due in part to hot temperatures. It was the courage of one neighbor that ensured everyone made it out safely; no injuries were reported.

“Our one neighbor (Ed Kramer) ran in and saved one of the women,” said Marr. “I couldn’t believe he ran in there without even thinking.”

When the fire began, Kramer, a Coast Guard veteran who was enjoying the afternoon outside, jumped into action.

“I smelled something – I’m an electrician, I knew something was burning. I looked at the sky to see where the smoke was coming from. I saw it was in the back of the plan. We’ve got a couple friends back there. I immediately started running,” Kramer said.

When he arrived at the scene, the end unit was in flames, and spreading.

“I realized we have friends in the very next unit. The daughter works during the day and the mother’s at home by herself, who is deaf,” said Kramer, who thought the mother might be home alone.

As he ran around the back of the house, Kramer noticed an open door on a neighboring patio, and ran inside to alert anyone who might be home. Kramer’s shouts saved the life of a woman painting in the basement of the house.

“I left that unit and went over to the unit where the older lady was. I got to the glass door. I was pounding on it. She kind of waved, like, ‘Hi.’ The fire was almost overhead; her unit was on fire at that point. I motioned for her to get out and she got to the door. I said, ‘We’re on fire.” She’s 92 years old. She just smiled, picked up her purse and grabbed her walker tray and we just walked her off the deck,” Kramer said. “Another neighbor … took her inside. That was it.”

While many neighbors and media outlets have commended Kramer’s heroics, he said he did what anyone else in the community would have done.

“It’s just neighbors helping neighbors,” Kramer said. “Just, you know, being in the right place at the right time. Luckily, I knew somebody was in there that was deaf. God was with us.”

Kramer feels badly that his neighbors lost their homes, photos and belongings, but is relieved everyone made it out with their lives.

“Everybody’s OK,” he said.

While the fire raged, neighbors came together to check on each other and offer first responders cold rags and water, said Marr, and local businesses are offering assistance to the families affected.

“I knew something pretty big was going on when fire trucks that weren’t Lawrence … went speeding by,” said Mike Larimer, who owns Frankie’s Italian Kitchen, located a couple hundred yards from the fire hall. “People coming from all directions, it was pretty wild.”

Larimer said one of his regulars lost her home, and many of his customers are Georgetown Estates residents. That’s what inspired him to set up a donation jar inside the restaurant. Proceeds benefit those affected by the fire.

“It’s a small area, it’s tight-knit. I just put the jar out here and there’s already a little bit in there. Hopefully that’ll be at least a little bit to throw into the pile with these other fundraisers,” Larimer said, alluding to the GoFundMe and other local efforts. “I wish there was more we could do.”

Larimer has been coordinating with a Georgetown Estate resident interested in hosting a spaghetti dinner, and looks forward to providing food for the cause. A couple years ago, Frankie’s Italian Kitchen provided the food for a spaghetti dinner that benefited another family who lost everything in a fire.

“We’ll do whatever we can,” he said.

A firefighter who worked on scene stopped by Frankie’s for lunch Thursday, and Larimer said his heart goes out to all involved, including first responders.

“I can’t imagine losing all your possessions in the blink of an eye. I feel bad for those families,” he said. “Top-notch job to all the firemen. It was just a really scary situation. It’s always a positive when something of this magnitude happens, there’s no human loss of life.”

Like Frankie’s, Corner Eats, a food truck near Georgetown Estates, is also offering aid to residents of Old Farm Road.

“We’re right down the street from it. We found out that one of the houses belongs to one of our regular customers,” said co-owner Amber Abruzzi. “We decided there are older people and they don’t use GoFundMe or Facebook, so we decided to be one of the places you could drop off a donation.”

Corner Eats is collecting monetary donations for those Georgetown Estates residents who lost their homes and belongings; simply drop off donations at the food truck at 463 Georgetown Road.

Along with eight local fire departments and EMS, the Red Cross was at the scene Wednesday, though no one was relocated through the nonprofit. To McMullen’s knowledge, all residents affected by the fire have living arrangements, thanks to family and friends.

McMullen said the cause of the fire is pending investigation by the state fire marshal. It will be “quite some time” before the homes damaged are rebuilt, he added.

The Georgetown Estates and greater community is discussing additional fundraising opportunities, with details forthcoming.

Marr is still collecting donations for affected families. GoFundMe proceeds will be split evenly between them.

“We’re a pretty tight-knit little neighborhood,” Marr said.

To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/devastating-multi-home-fire.

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