Connoquenessing man grateful for support following fire
CONNOQUENESSING TWP -- Bud Marra said he is overwhelmed by the support and help he has received since he lost everything he owned in a Jan. 12 fire that destroyed his home.
His home in the Woodland Meadows Mobile Home Park on Double Road was a total loss and the whereabouts of his three cats are unknown as a result of the fire.
“I woke up at 6:30 a.m. I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by fire. The brightness of the flames woke me up,” Marra said.
After running outside screaming for help, he said he went back inside the home three or four times looking for his cats before the smoke he was inhaling caused him to collapse in a hallway.
“It felt like I inhaled molten glass. I hit the floor. I crawled out the back door,” Marra said. “It was pitch black. All I could see was black smoke and flames.”
He said he smashed a window and kicked a door open to leave escape routes for his cats. The Butler County Humane Society set traps for the cats, but as of Friday they haven’t turned up.
“They’re not replaceable. They’re like family. They’re like my kids,” Marra said.
He said he escaped with only with the pants, T-shirt and socks he was wearing.
“I literally lost everything I owned,” Marra said.
A “lifetime” of musical equipment, including a Fender Stratocaster and a custom Fender guitar, were among the losses, he said.
He said the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction, but he did not have homeowners insurance, even though he works long hours.
“I could barely afford taxes and my bills. I just couldn’t afford homeowners insurance,” he said.
Family, friends and strangers have been helping him since the fire.
“I’m overwhelmed with the outpouring of help. It’s incredible, the number of people. I’ve had strangers come up to me and offer me help,” Marra said. “I’m blown away. There's so many good people out there.”
He said he is staying with other family members who live in the park until he can find a new home.
“I'll rebuild. I'll keep going. It hasn’t wavered my faith. I hold onto everything loosely. Everything belongs to God. We're just stewards of everything we have. Satan didn’t win,” Marra said.
His son-in-law Paul Dillingham has created a GoFundMe account, https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bud-recover-from-total-loss-house-fire, to raise money for Marra.
As of Friday afternoon, the account had donations totaling $2,030 toward the goal of $10,000.
“People have been coming out of the woodwork,” Dillingham said.
People have donated money, clothes and furniture to his father-in-law, he said.
“He lost absolutely everything,” Dillingham said. “The only things he made it out with were his shirt and pants.”
