Fire destroys woman’s home just before anniversary of husband’s death
Trinda Durboraw was preparing herself to grieve the fourth anniversary of her husband’s untimely and sudden death when yet another tragedy befell her.
The home she shared with her late husband, Kenneth Durboraw, caught fire Thursday, April 13, as she burned yard waste in a portable fire pit on her patio.
The home, which is on Oakdale Drive in Zelienople, was deemed a total loss.
“It burned so bad that the pictures literally melted off the walls,” Durboraw said.
She has not yet decided whether she will rebuild the home, which she estimates was more badly damaged due to its slightly remote location on top of a hill and the scarcity of fire hydrants in her neighborhood.
“It’s just like having grief all over again,” Durboraw said. “It’s a huge devastation, and it happened in the blink of an eye.”
She is grateful for her neighbors and the community, who have been helping her since the fire.
Durboraw said the Zelienople Rotary is holding a pancake breakfast fundraiser for the family from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 30 at Glade Run Lutheran Services’ Matthew Hall, 425 W. Beaver St., Zelienople.
The fundraiser will help with expenses until insurance kicks in.
She said she lost family pictures on the walls, and the entire kitchen, living room and dining room are gone.
Durboraw also appreciates the Harmony Fire District and other fire departments whose firefighters did their best to fight the blaze while saving about half of her late husband’s military memorabilia.
“I’m grateful they were at least able to get some of (the military) stuff out,” she said.
