Help sought for family hit hard by house fire
CAROLINE LOBSINGER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 5 months AGO
I grew up in the Tri-Cities, Wash., and have always loved to write. I attended the University of Washington, where I earned a double major in journalism and political science, with an area of emphasis in history. I am the fifth out of six kids — don't believe any of the stories that my siblings tell. To be able to tell others stories and take photos for a living is a dream come true — and I considered myself blessed to be a community journalist. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, hiking and spending time outdoors, genealogy, reading, and watching the UW Huskies and the Seattle Seahawks. I am a servant to my cat, Frankie, who yes, will eat anything and everything in sight … even wedding cookies. | October 12, 2019 1:00 AM
SANDPOINT — Linda Blamey is grateful her family escaped a house fire that destroyed their home.
However, the Oct. 4 fire on Namaste Path destroyed the two-bedroom home her children and grandchildren were in the process of remodeling, and the family lost all of their possessions and clothes.
“The kids got out,” Blamey said. “We’re really so blessed everyone is safe. But they lost everything.”
Following the fire, the Red Cross set the family up at a local hotel for several days. Bonner Community Food Bank donated groceries to the family and others in the community have also reached out to help, said Blamey.
The family has received help from Pastor Jon Pomeroy and the Sandpoint Church of God’s Helping Hands program. The church also donated firewood to the family to help keep them warm this winter.
The family had attempted to get insurance on the double-wide home in the Namaste Path area, but had been unable to do so, Blamey said. The blaze, which was reported at 12:31 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, destroyed the two-bedroom home and the structure is considered a total loss by fire officials.
For now family members have shifted around, with some moving into Blamey’s home and others moving into a nearby cabin owned by others in the family.
What the family needs, Blamey said, are clothes. While two of her grandchildren had clothes at their mother’s home, the rest of the family only had what they were wearing at the time they escaped the fire.
Needed are clothes for Fabian Rebeterano, Blamey’s son — size 38 pants, size 11 shoes, 1X shirts and coats; for a 30-year-old female — size 1 pants, small/medium shirts and jackets and size 7 1/2 shoes; for a 20-year-old male — size 34 pants, large/extra-large shirts and coats and size 9 shoes; and for a 17-year-old female — size 1 pants, small/medium shirts and coats and size 7 1/2 shoes.
An account is set up at Horizon Credit Union to help the family. Those wishing to make donations should stop in and indicate they want to donate to the Linda Blamey fire fund.
Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.
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