Fire destroys everything for Butler family
Days after a 7-year-old girl alerted her mother to a fire at their East Locust Street apartment building in Butler, the family of two is adjusting to a new normal.
The fire “destroyed everything,” said Marissa Claypoole, who had lived with her daughter, Emma Smith in one of the apartments at 404 E. Locust St. since November.
One of the family’s two cats died in the fire, and the other is presumed dead. Additionally, Claypoole said the family’s three dogs either have been or will be rehomed as a result of the fire.
On Friday, Claypoole called Emma her “little hero,” who, she said, is still not fully aware of how the disaster affected their lives.
“She's oblivious to it, but she has moments when she cries asking, ‘Where is this toy?’” Claypoole said.
While she and Emma are trying to move on, she said she has been surprised at the support her small family has seen through a GoFundMe page set up by her aunt.
“She is not one to ask for help, but in a situation like this it takes a village. Please, if you're able to help do so, and if not please say a prayer for them and share, so we can get the word out and help them,” Brandy Mcclure-Williams said on the GoFundMe page.
Claypoole said the fire hit about a month after she totaled her car, which she used to get to and from her two jobs. Claypoole said she is attending college online to get an associate degree in social work.
Claypoole said her priority is finding a place to live in Butler and getting furniture for her daughter, who is her first priority.
“She had this special blanket, it was handmade by someone, she misses it,” Claypoole said. “First step is, I want to find a place and then furniture and stuff for her.”
She said she’s attempted to make their hotel stay resemble a “mini-vacation.”
“For her, we try to stay positive,” Claypoole said. "We just appreciate everyone who has helped so far, even just numerous calls to check on my daughter; she feels legit like a superhero.“
At the scene of the fire, Emma recalled how she heard the fire alarm, got her mom and helped alert other residents to the fire.
Butler Bureau of Fire Chief Chris Switala said three of the four units of the multifamily building were heavily damaged by the fire, which started at around 3 p.m. Monday. The fourth unit was relatively unharmed, but the building is uninhabitable, according to Switala.
The GoFundMe page for Claypoole and Emma has a fundraising goal of $7,000. Another GoFundMe is active for Sheana Caszatt, who also said she and her “two little girls” ages 5 and 6 lost everything in the fire. The fundraising goal for the page is $2,000.
The fundraiser for Claypoole can be found at gofund.me/b94351bc, and the fundraiser for Caszatt can be found at gofund.me/9b6f5617.
