Family receives community support after a dangerous house fire
{Photo by Mike Loomis, Sr.)
A family displaced by an Aug. 20 house fire on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is receiving an outpouring of community support as they begin what relatives say will be a long journey toward recovering stable housing.
According to a press release from the Lexington Fire Department, firefighters, Davidson County EMS, Davidson County Rescue Squad, Lexington Police Department, Triangle Fire Department and West Lexington Fire Department responded to a structure fire with a trapped occupant at 106 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
“Crews arrived to find a working fire and moved quickly to rescue the trapped occupant,” the Lexington Fire Department stated in the release.
The occupant was transported by Davidson County EMS to Wake Forest Baptist Hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the fire. No responders were injured.
“Crews quickly brought the fire under control and fully extinguished it,” the department stated.
The fire department also credited working smoke alarms with alerting those inside the residence.
“Working smoke alarms in the residence alerted the occupants to the fire, allowing for a faster emergency response,” according to the department.
The Lexington Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.
In the days following the fire, community members have rallied around the family. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been established to assist with immediate and longer-term needs as the family works to recover from the loss of their home.
Family members said there has already been an abundance of support from the community, but they recognize that recovering housing and rebuilding their lives will be a long process.
The family is also accepting clothing and other needed items for the children.
The Lexington Fire Department used the incident to remind residents to regularly test smoke alarms and replace batteries as needed. Residents who need smoke alarms installed can contact the department at (336) 248-3935.
