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Several fire departments were called to assist at the scene of the massive blaze on Northwood Drive in High Bridge around 10 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17, DailyVoice.com previously reported.
The home’s occupant, Kevin Pankuch, escaped through the front door and was airlifted to a nearby trauma center to be treated for burns and smoke inhalation after his slippers melted to his feet, according to a GoFundMe launched for his medical expenses.
“We are raising money on behalf of my dad, Kevin Pankuch,” reads the fundraiser, launched by Keri Garasic. “My dad had a catastrophic house fire…in a blink of an eye, he lost it all. Kevin tried to put out the fire, but it spread too fast.”
While fire crews were able to protect the neighboring properties from the devastating blaze, Pankuch lost all of his possessions, including his wallet, his photos, his late wife’s ashes, and his cat, Garasic says.
He’s currently out of the hospital and staying in a hotel while his family helps him coordinate a longer-term living situation.
Meanwhile, the medical bills are piling up from his first hospital stay with more healthcare expenses inevitably to come, the campaign says.
Nearly $2,000 had been raised in less than 24 hours.
“[Kevin] is a beloved father, brother, uncle, and grandfather,” reads the fundraiser. “He will have many medical bills coming in from his first hospital stay, and we hope we can remove the worry of paying for these medical bills for him.”
Click here to view/donate to ‘Kevin’s House Fire Fundraiser’ on GoFundMe.
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