A family in Clintonville lost their home to a fire Wednesday morning and on top of that their business was severely damaged as well. Today the state fire marshal says the fire was accidental and now the community is rallying behind the family to show they care.
Two fires in downtown Clintonville in just over a month has become the topic of conversation for those who live here.
"They were great businesses and I hope they get the chance to rebuild and come back in," says Jim Supanich of Clintonville.
The two fires left seven people who lived in the apartments above the businesses looking for new homes.
"We hate to see this happen because of the impact to families and the problems of them getting something set up again, especially during the holiday season and the impact on the kids," adds Supanich.
The family of five who owns China King and lived in the apartment overhead were forced to leave as a fire ripped through their home in the middle of the night.
"They were wearing flip flops and no socks and they were wrapped in a towel and they had nothing," says Sarah Lamia the co-owner of Landmark Motel. Lamia welcomed the family into her motel after they lost their home.
The family of five is now staying at the Landmark Motel for the time being and despite losing just about everything they own, this community is trying to remind them there are things to be grateful for, like the generosity of a community.
"This particular situation is remarkable. All I did is throw out a simple Facebook message; hey we got a family who needs help, this is where they're at…. and people started coming at seven o'clock in the morning.... clothing has come, food has come, money has come. And they actually have their own room of all the donations that have been given by this community," adds Lamia.
And while the family who lost way too much is still coming to terms with their new reality, hopefully the people of Clintonville have made this Thanksgiving a bit brighter for them.
If you would like to help the family we're told right now their biggest concern is finding affordable housing in Clintonville.
According to Lamia, potential housing for the family is hopeful by December 1.
To help them you can contact the Landmark Motel with any resources.
A donation fund for the family has also been set up at First State Bank in Clintonville.
