Fire displaces dozen residents in Aurora, half dozen pets in single home

A dozen family members and six pets are in need of shelter after their home caught fire. Aurora Fire Rescue responded to the house near Moline Street and East Highline Drive on Aug. 25.

Joshua Martinez lives there with his immediate and extended family.

"We grabbed all the kids. My son was sleeping on the couch," Martinez said. "My brother-in-law went back in to get my father-in-law. They fell coming down the stairs. We had to carry him out to the yard. He has a couple of fractures to his neck, and he's burned badly."

He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.  AFR also rescued a dog from the fire and saved it through resuscitation procedures.

The rest of the family is unharmed, but their home is uninhabitable, leaving the dozen displaced. The American Red Cross was called to assist.

According to Josh Egbert, communications manager for the American Red Cross of Colorado, there has been an uptick in relief needs for home fires in August. The calls have nearly doubled compared to August 2023.

The organization responded to 17 home fire incidents last month, helping 72 people.

He notes an increase in multi-generational households and assures the Red Cross is committed to providing aid to all affected individuals, regardless of household size.

"Whether it's one person or a family of 13, we're there to help," Egbert said. "We rely heavily on the generosity of Coloradans to support our work. Since we can't predict the number of fires or their frequency, financial donations are crucial for us to continue providing aid."

The Red Cross prioritizes immediate needs, ensuring that families have a safe place to stay, typically for the first 24 to 48 hours. They help with essential items such as medications and food. For long-term recovery, the Red Cross partners with local organizations like Front Porch to assist families in finding permanent housing solutions.

The family received a few days of help with a hotel from the Red Cross, but now they need another place to stay.

"We have until Friday to get everything out. The house has severe water and fire damage, and we've been trying to move what we can to storage," Martinez said. "It's scary. Imagine if we were all sleeping when that happened."

The family isn't sure how the fire started. The incident is under investigation, but AFR has determined the fire was accidental.

The family is crowdsourcing donations through an online fundraiser titled "Help Displaced Family After Devastating Fire." Martinez says anyone willing to help with other donations can contact him at LoganJoshua@gmail.com

For those looking to support the Red Cross's efforts, Egbert emphasized the importance of both financial contributions and volunteer support. Donations can be made through their website at redcross.org, and individuals interested in volunteering can sign up at redcross.org/volunteer .