Chester Community Aids Family After Fatal House Fire

CHESTER, CT — Donations and other assistance are being sought for a family following a house fire Sunday morning that killed a 76-year-old woman and left two other people hospitalized.

The fire extensively damaged Carini/Molyneux family home at 27 Ridge Road, authorities said. The Chester Hose Company arrived on the scene within 2.5 minutes of the emergency call and discovered the house in flames and filled with smoke.

The majority of occupants were able to flee the home safely, but three people were trapped inside, fire officials said. The three were extricated by emergency personnel and taken to Middlesex Hospital for smoke inhalation, burns and other injuries, authorities said.

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It was announced later in the day that Joan Carini, the home's owner, died from the blaze. The two other victims were in stable condition but are expected to make a full recovery, authorities said. In addition, one of the family's cats and one dog also died in the fire, although several other animals were rescued.

Carini's daughter, husband and children also lived in the home and have been displaced by the fire, since the house is not livable, officials said.

The family is currently staying in a hotel, and Red Cross is assisting them.

Members of the Chester, Deep River and Essex have already banded together to help the family with donations of clothing and necessities. Donations can be dropped off at the office of First Student, at 15 Prospect St. in Chester.

Donations of women's clothing in size large, extra large and XX larger are needed, as well as size large maternity clothing. Men's clothing in size extra large tops and 34x34 pants are being collected and children's clothing girls 7/8 and 3/4 are needed, as well as boys 5/6 and 2/3. In addition, donations of size 5 diapers and wipes are needed.

In addition, a GoFundMe Page has been created to help with housing costs. Donations to the GoFundMe page can be made here.

"This house is well-known to our department because they have a lot of kids here," Chester Fire Marshal Dick Leighton said during a Sunday night news conference with NBC Connecticut News.

The exact cause of the fire remained under investigation.

"We have no reason to believe there's a criminal aspect to this, but we are looking at every aspect," said Paul Makuc of the state's Fire and Explosion Unit, according to NBC News.

Makuc said fire officials are still going through debris to examine the structure and determine where the fire may have started.

Fire officials said the family had a lot of items inside the house, so it took a while to extinguish the fire completely.

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