

The US Fire Administration reports that there have been 873 people killed in home fires so far this year. The high cost of home heating fuel, which has gone up over 40 percent over the past year, is driving more people to turn to wood burners. Many homes in rural areas use wood-burning furnaces as either their main source of heat or to supplement a gas or fuel heating system. It is not clear if the home had a gas or fuel heating system or if a wood burner was the main source of heat. Temperatures had fallen below freezing in the days before the fire. May everyone be surrounded in love, comfort, and care to get through.” Automotive isn’t going to be the same without you Raymond. Wishing you the strength to face the days ahead and warm memories to hold in your heart forever.”Ī student who donated $200 wrote: “Sending love and prayers to everyone impacted by this tragedy.


One person wrote: “Your family always had a delightful vegetable stand. People in the community describe the children as very loving and caring and very active in community activities, particularly taking part in the 4-H youth organization.Ī GoFundMe page which was set up to raise $40,000 for Charles and Michele has already hit the goal and is approaching $50,000 in donations. The family has received an outpouring of support from the community. They have stated that the fire was not deliberately started. They believe that it began in the basement from the wood-burning furnace or within the chimney. The house was pretty well engulfed,” he told the Olean Times Herald.įirefighters have not yet determined the cause of the fire and say they may never be certain as the entire wood-frame house burnt down in the fire. But when I looked out here, it wasn’t car lights I was looking at. “(Charlie) usually goes to work toward the morning, and I thought at first he had started his car. Wayne Erway, Charlie’s father who lived next door, said he was awoken by a loud boom.
