A Peachtree family is still reeling from a house fire that significantly damaged their home and led to the death of their family dog. Despite the shock of losing their home and all of their possessions, the family has been bolstered by community support in the few days since the fire occurred.
As of Tuesday morning, a gofundme.com crowd-funding campaign set up by a family member had raised nearly $12,000 in two days. The campaign, which set a goal of $15,000, had gotten donations from 175 different people in those 48 hours.
The money will support the Simoncini family, who has two kids already and is expecting a third any day now. The campaign can be found at www.gofundme.com/PeachTreeFire.
The family was not home during the fire, which authorities said originated in the kitchen. The Peachtree City Fire Department responded within five minutes, but the damage to the house was already severe before they could bring the fire under control.
The family dog succumbed to the fire, but responders were able to rescue some other pets, including a python. Another photo taken on the scene showed a firefighter with a rescued pet turtle.
The Peachtree City Police and Fire Rescue Facebook page posted an update Saturday indicating the family was staying with relatives in Colombus for now. The post noted the police department plans to assist the family with their Christmas and said anyone wishing to make additional monetary donations could bring them to the Department with checks made out to the Auxiliary Police with a memo saying “fire call.”
The post noted the family was “overwhelmed by the support of this community,” and plans to seek a new residence in Peachtree City eventually.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.