Written by Victoria Gaither
Last week, one of Killington's oldest homes was destroyed in a house fire.
Written by Polly Mikula
A fast-moving fire gutted one of Killington's oldest homes in the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 24th.
The Neal family lived at 202 Old Route 4, just east of Killington Road. It is here that the remains of his old two-lane road over Sherburn Pass predate his 1960s motorway improvements that form the current four-lane highway.
“The homeowner, Tabitha Neal, awoke to the smell of smoke and discovered fire climbing up the walls and into the ceiling on the first floor,” Killington Fire Chief Paul Ginther said. reported. “She alerted the other residents and everyone was able to escape safely,” he reported.
There were four adults and one juvenile in the home at the time. The Neal family also had many pets, but not all of them survived the fire.
“Tabitha left the door open for them to try to escape. I think we rescued four dogs, but lost multiple cats, snakes, rabbits and turtles,” Ginther said. Told.
Ginther said she believes there were 18 cats in the house at the time of the fire, but the only one found at the scene was dead.
Outside, the family also kept chickens and goats, which were not evacuated during the fire and are still on the property and cared for.
Ginther said the fire is not believed to be suspicious. He said it was likely an accidental accident, possibly caused by a heat source such as a pellet stove. The official cause is still under investigation. The home is considered a total loss.
Ginther said his department was dispatched to a 911 call from Tabitha Neal at 1:47 a.m. reporting a fire. When firefighters arrived, they were able to extinguish the fire from inside the first floor, but the damage to the building made it unsafe and they had to fight the fire.
“From there it was all defensive,” he said.
“My understanding is that it was one of the oldest houses in Killington and had very old, large timbers. Once the fire started, it was very difficult to put out.”
Mr Ginther said the fire was deemed under control about an hour or two after arriving, but firefighters remained on the scene until about 12:30pm on Wednesday, more than 10 hours later, “fighting the fire.” “We made sure there was no hidden fire or smoldering to prevent it.” Rekindle. ”
Eleven fire stations and 50 firefighters were called in to put out the fire, which required an estimated 40,000 gallons of water. “That sounds like a lot, but it's actually a reasonable amount of water” for this type of fire, he said.
Seven tanker trucks from 11 responding departments brought water to the scene.
In addition to Killington, the Pittsfield, Bridgewater, Rutland Town, Rutland City, West Rutland, Clarendon, Pittsford, Proctor, Plymouth and Woodstock departments worked to fight the fire, Ginther said. . Area ambulances and Killington police were also on the scene, and Green Mountain Power lost power.
“We had a lot of participation from members and a lot of participation from mutual aid,” he said.
Written by Victoria Gaither
Dharma Neal (left) and Tabitha Neal (right)
We lost our home in Killington to a fire last week.
This is Ginther's first home fire as Killington Fire Chief, and “the last time we had a structure fire in town was 13 months ago,” Ginther said.
“Being new to town, I have to say I’m very impressed with the support of the community,” he added. “The amount of response, from donations of goods to wishes, has been very impressive.”
Police Chief Whit Montgomery helped coordinate supply transportation with volunteer community member Patrick Cushing and opened a community room in the Public Safety Building to organize supplies.
“People have been so generous, people have really stepped up,” Montgomery said.
“Patrick is a volunteer and was there all day today organizing supplies and will probably be there again this weekend,” Ginther said in an interview Thursday, Jan. 25. “But we're going to need money for a while,” he added.
To that end, Kate Austin-Avon and Patrick Cushing have started a Go Fund Me appeal for the family. As of Tuesday, January 30th, $30,275 has been raised.
“My friend and elementary school classmate Tabitha Neal just lost everything in a house fire last night,” Austin Avon wrote on the fundraising page on Wednesday, January 24th. “The property has no insurance and funds are needed to rebuild. The GoFundMe funds should be in Tabby's bank account within up to five business days, so anything you can bring to the fire department today to get immediate help. Anything is welcome,” she wrote.
The Neal family has also met with the American Red Cross for assistance.
“As we prepare for winter, it is critical that people make sure their heating sources are maintained, chimneys are cleaned, fuel is properly stored, and flammable materials are kept away from heat sources,” Chief Ginther said. Told. “Also, make sure multiple smoke alarms are installed and in working order, and that everyone knows the escape plan.”
For more information, updates and to donate to the Neil family, visit GoFundMe.com/f/help-the-neil-family-recover-from-their-house-fire.
