Family loses nearly everything in fire

SANDUSKY — A Sandusky family is still recovering from an early Tuesday house fire. Just after 7 a.m., first responders were called to the 1500 block of Lindsley St. for the report of a fire. They arrived to find the first floor of the home with heavy smoke. All occupants were safely out of the house. Two dogs also made it out. Firefighters went to work extinguishing the flames. They determined that an air conditioner started the blaze near a first-floor window. The loss in value to the structure and contents was estimated at $30,000, according to Sandusky fire Chief Mario D'Amico. Resident Amelia Coffey said she woke up to a smoke detector going off and grabbed a fire extinguisher — but was unable to see the pin to pull — so she went outside, pulled the pin and went back in to attempt to put out the fire. She credits a neighbor with dialing 911 to alert the fire department. Coffey also said the fire department responded quicker than expected. The first floor was declared unlivable, however, the second-floor apartment was inhabitable. "While we are incredibly thankful that everyone — including our two dogs — made it out safely, we lost nearly everything else in the flames," said Victoria Reed, who started a fundraiser established for the family. The fund can be found on the crowdfunding page gofundme.com by searching "Help needed house fire." In addition to the $2,400 goal, the fundraiser is also asking for the following items: • Women's clothing sizes: small and extra large • Women's shoe sizes 6 and 8 • Any household essentials/toiletries • Literally anything to go inside a home. "We're so grateful for any support, whether it's a donation, sharing this post or simply keeping us in your thoughts and prayers," Reed said. "Thank you in advance." Sandusky fire Capt. Matt Lesch stressed the importance of having working smoke detectors in homes. He said changing the batteries in detectors should occur at least twice a year when the clocks change. The next time daylight saving time ends is Nov. 2.