KATY, Texas (AP) — Katy-area residents have raised more than $18,000 to help a local family rebuild after an electrical fire destroyed their uninsured home last week. The GoFundMe campaign aims to collect $150,000 to cover construction costs the family must pay entirely out of pocket due to a gap in their insurance coverage.
The fire erupted at the home in the 1300 block of Shillington Drive on Monday afternoon, Nov. 25, 2024, in a breezeway connecting the house to the garage of Kaleb Glenn's home, where he lives with his wife and two children. The flames intensified when a propane tank blew, causing an explosion in the garage.
"Upon arrival, crews encountered significant flames in the detached garage that had spread to the rear of the house," a post from the Harris County Emergency Services District 48 Fire Department said.
The family lost everything.
"All of our memories, they're burned and they're gone," Glenn told KHOU TV.
Glenn, a tool salesman and youth softball coach, had lived in the home with his family for nearly five years. The fire spread rapidly through the structure, causing extensive damage to the rear of the house.
Glenn's wife and the family's pets escaped unharmed. Their two children were not home when the fire started.
"It really roared up pretty quickly," Glenn said.
The timing couldn't have been worse: The family was between insurance policies when the fire occurred. Their new vehicle insurance had taken effect, but their home coverage hadn't started.
"This is all going to be coming out of pocket," Glenn told Channel 11.
The family estimates repairs will cost between $150,000 and $250,000, with reconstruction expected to take up to a year.
"We're going to have to completely start over," Glenn said. "It's pretty devastating to look at it. It's hard."
The fire was so intense that mutual aid was required from the Community Volunteer Fire Department, the Westlake Volunteer Fire Department, the Katy Fire Department, and the Harris County Fire Marshal.
This is a link to the GoFundMe page for those who want to contribute.
Funds raised will go toward:
- Securing temporary housing
- Replacing essential items lost in the fire
- Providing basic needs for their young children
- Helping them rebuild their lives