SEYMOUR – A GoFundMe has been set up to benefit a Seymour family displaced from their home in a Deerfield Drive house fire Sunday (Jan. 25).
According to the GoFundMe, five members of the Nuñez family – parents Jessica and Johnny, and daughters Olivia, Koda and Cecilia – were displaced after a fire swept through the home shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday. Johnny Nuñez was hospitalized with smoke inhalation after making several trips back into the burning building to rescue animals, the GoFundMe says. Two cats did not make it.
You can read the page description and make a donation at this link.
The Seymour Fire Department was called to the house at Deerfield Drive at about 4:30 a.m.
The call was first reported as a basement fire, according to emergency radio transmissions.
Shortly after arriving on scene a firefighter reported flames on the first floor of the house, too.
A few minutes into the call, Oxford firefighters were called in for mutual aid and Ansonia firefighters were called in to cover any other calls in Seymour.
Firefighters connected a hose to a hydrant and ran it up the driveway, through the garage and into the basement, according to radio dispatches.
The cause and origin is under investigation.
According to the GoFundMe page, Jessica Nuñez is a healthcare professional at Griffin Hospital who has won awards for her leadership and dedication to her community. She has also been active in other community initiatives, including helping lead Seymour Food2Kids and being involved with the grassroots Bungay School Rebuild Alliance.
Johnny Nuñez is involved with the community as a softball coach for the George J. Hummel Little League.
The fundraiser is organized by Kiana Machnicz. She has also made a Facebook post asking for shoe and clothes donations for the Nuñez family. For more information on how to donate, see the post.
According to the post, Johnny Nuñez’ actions saved the lives of two of the family’s dogs, as well as several other cats.