Blaze leaves Girard family homeless | News, Sports, Jobs

Staff photo/ Raymond L. Smith
The Girard Fire Department and other local fire departments were called out late Monday night to a house fire at 111 Churchill Road in Girard. The fire damaged the two-story house, but the family was uninjured.

GIRARD — A family of seven children and two adults living in a single-family rental property at 111 Churchill Road is being assisted by the Red Cross after the home was damaged heavily by fire.

Crews from multiple communities began battling the blaze around 10:15 p.m. Monday.

The home’s residents — identified as Dan Filipicich and Mary Bowling and their seven children — arrived at the house as fire crews battled the flames. They had their four husky dogs with them.

“Fish in an aquarium may have died in the fire,” Girard fire Chief Jim Petruzzi said.

One person was taken to a local hospital for evaluation but was released, the report states.

The fire was heavily involved when the department arrived, Petruzzi said, and appeared to be concentrated on the first floor of the two-story structure.

The department was informed about the fire through a Girard 911 call from Jerad Gearhart, a neighbor. The home had no smoke or fire detectors.

Gearhart said he was told by a friend that his neighbor’s house was on fire.

“We went out to check on them,” Gearhart said. “The fire was pouring out the windows. We could not get too close. One of my friends saw a grill with a propane tank on it, so we did not want to get too close to the house.”

Gearhart and his friends knocked on a couple neighbors’ doors to let them know there was a fire.

Nicolle Tauro, who lives across Churchill Road, saw the flames.

“We could see the flames shooting out of the side of the walls of the house,” Tauro said. “Smoke was everywhere.”

Tauro recalled going to high school with the mother in the house.

“They are very, very nice people,” Tauro said. “So far, the Girard website has people trying to raise money for the family.”

Tauro said the family moved in to the house about 2 1/2 years ago. “They moved in after the house was remodeled from the last fire that occurred there,” she said.

Petruzzi said when his fire crews arrived they were told five children possibly were inside, and no one had seen anyone come out.

“Our fire crews split up into two teams — one to knock down the fire, and the other to search the house,” Petruzzi said.

“Fortunately, there was no one home,” he said.

Liberty, McDonald and Weathersfield fire departments and the Girard Police Department assisted.

Fire crews remained at the scene until about 1 a.m. Tuesday, according to Petruzzi. Investigators did not leave until about 3 a.m.

The house has been boarded up. The extent of loss still was being assessed Tuesday as fire damage was primarily on the first floor.

The home is owned by Desarae Makis, according to the Trumbull County Auditor website. It has an appraised value of $47,000. According to a fire report, the estimated total loss is $150,000.

An investigation into the cause continues.

American Red Cross of Northern Ohio has provided immediate financial assistance to the family that includes money for lodging, lost clothing, and meals based on the size of the family

“We are working to help them find permanent housing,” said Jim McIntyre, a spokesman with the Red Cross of Northern Ohio. “This is a large family, so they are going to need as much help as can be provided.”

All of the children attend Girard City Schools, so the family would like to remain in the community, according to McIntyre.

“Girard is a generous community,” he said. “We know that people have been reaching out to help.”

McIntyre said the financial assistance the Red Cross was able to provide is based on a formula.

“We were told the family has lost all of its medications in the fire,” McIntyre said. “We are attempting to help them replace what is needed.”

The Red Cross of Northern Ohio covers a 31-county area, according to McIntyre. It has an average of three house fires per day in its coverage area.