Community rallies around Amherst family after July 4 fire damages home

AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) -- One local family's Fourth of July holiday went up in flames after a fire tore through their Amherst home. The fire started in the kitchen, quickly spread throughout the house and caused an estimated total of $300,000 in damage.

The family of five, along with their grandmother and two dogs, were able to escape unhurt, but the damage was already done. Family friend Brian Tierney told WIVB News 4 it could take six months of repairs and cleanup before the family can move back to its home on Burgundy Terrace. 

"It's going to be a tough journey, especially considering everything that goes on in normal life. Their normal lives are busy," Tierney said. "They have three kids, their mother lives here with them, they have two dogs, so trying to figure out how to take care of them on top of normal life things, on top of now having to deal with everything that's happening with their home, is going to be a daunting task."

The family's home was the place to be for the neighborhood. There was no better spot to watch a Buffalo Bills game than in their garage. 

Tierney said the family's loss is also the neighborhood's loss. 

"This is the hub of everything in this neighborhood. All the neighbors, everyone comes over here," Tierney said. "Their garage is the place where everybody hangs out. There's an open sign on the window and when that's on, everyone comes over -- and it's usually always on."

While the family rebuilds, Tierney created a GoFundMe to help them out.

"Everyone who knows this family knows how much they give to everyone else and they just want to give back and help them out," Tierney said.

In just a week, the community has helped raise over $27,000 toward their goal of $30,000.

"They are so thankful for that," Tierney said. "They can't even begin to really thank the community enough for rallying around them and really how everyone has come together. That's just what Buffalo is, right? It just always happens that way and this is just another testament of that."