The blaze, sparked by a faulty electrical outlet, tore through the family’s Mastic residence at around 5 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, Cornelius Hobson wrote on a GoFundMe campaign.
The youngest resident, a 14-year-old freshman at William Floyd High School, was awakened by crackling noises and intense heat next to her face. Her screams alerted her mother and two brothers, ages 18 and 26.
“Milania, the youngest, woke up at 5 in the morning to the pillow next to her on fire,” Chrissy Hobson said on Facebook. “She jumped up screaming and was able to wake up everyone in the house.”
After the initial outlet fire was extinguished, the fire reignited in the wall and quickly spread to the rest of the home.
“By the time the fire department came the house was completely on fire,” Hobson said. “They had to helplessly watch their home burn.”
While all four residents escaped without injury, the family “lost everything,” Hobson added.
“God protected them, so they are safe and that’s all that matters.”
The family’s renter’s insurance lapsed prior to the blaze, Cornelius Hobson said, so friends and relatives have begun collecting donations for things like food, clothing, blankets, personal hygiene products, and other items.
“Now she has to start from scratch,” he wrote. “Any and all support is greatly appreciated.”
Monetary donations can be made through the family’s GoFundMe campaign, while physical items can be dropped off by contacting 631-394-1435.
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