Fire Leaves Family Homeless

HEUVELTON - A Heuvelton family is now homeless after a Tuesday afternoon fire that reportedly stemmed from a malfunctioning water heater,ripped through their manufactured home and destroyed almost all of their possessions.

Volunteer firefighters from several departments arrived at the home of Edward and Brandy Kilbourn, of 41 Irish Settlement Road, town of Oswegatchie, to find the couple and their two daughters watching as smoke and flames engulfed nearly everything they owned.

"We arrived in about four minutes from receiving the call. The family was there, but they weren't inside," Heuvelton Fire Chief Mark A. Basford said. Lisbon and Rennselaer Falls fire departments assisted Heuvelton at the scene, with additional help provided by the Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad.

Although no people were inside of the burning structure, firefighters rescued three family pets including a snake, cat and a dog. Firefighters extinguished the blaze in approximately one hour, according to Mr. Basford.

While the exterior of the manufactured home remained intact, the inside was heavily damaged by fire and smoke. St. Lawrence County Fire Investigator Matthew B. Keilmeier described the insured home as a total loss. He said the fire appears to have started as a result of a malfunctioning water heater.

"We narrowed it down to a malfunction of the hot water heater. We aren't sure of the exact malfunction, but we could tell that the fire stemmed from there," he said.

Mr. Keilmeier said the water heater was fueled by kerosene, which is uncommon.

"Most water heaters use electricity or propane. We don't generally run into a lot of these that run off kerosene," he said.

The Kilbourn family will stay at a local hotel paid for by the American Red Cross. Members of the community have already begun collecting donations to help the couple and their two daughters, who attend Heuvelton Central School.

Employees who work with Mrs. Kilbourn, who is employed at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, are accepting donations at the hospital on behalf of the family. Heuvelton's Sugar Creek-Wilson Farms convenient store is also accepting donations on behalf of the family.

Items needed by the Kilbourn family include: Women's size 10 pants, women's medium shirts, and size 9 women's shoe; men's pants size 36-30, men's large shirts, and size 11 men's shoes; girl's pants size 12 and 1/2 plus, small women's shirts and size 5 1/5 women's shoes; size 12 regular girl's pants, girl's shirts size 12-14 and size 3 1/2 girl's shoes.

Also being accepted are blankets, school supplies, personal hygiene products, jackets, socks as well as other necessities.

CHMC employee Kirsti Davis said she hoped the community will come forward to help the Kilbourn family.

"It's a tragedy. It's hard to build you life back after losing so much. Hopefully we can work together and help them do that," she said.