Community Corner

Newtown Family Moves Back Into Home A Year After Fire: Report

The Gjonbalaj family lost everything when their Aspen Lane home was destroyed in a January 2021 fire.

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It took a year, but the Gjonbalaj family have finally moved back into their Newtown home, which had been destroyed by a fire.
It took a year, but the Gjonbalaj family have finally moved back into their Newtown home, which had been destroyed by a fire. (Alfred Branch/Patch)

NEWTOWN, CT — A year after a fire destroyed their Newtown home, the Gjonbalaj family is moving back into the repaired structure, News 12 reported.

The family's 3,000 square foot home had to be rebuilt after a chimney fire on the second floor spread throughout the Aspen Lane house.

No injuries were reported in the fire, and the Gjonbalaj's have been renting a home in Trumbull since January 2021. Insurance and a GoFundMe campaign in the community has helped the family get back on their collective feet. In addition to money, members of the community also donated clothing to the family.

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"It's been a tough year, you know, last year, but we did it," Arif Gjonbalaj, who came to the U.S. from Kosovo more than 20 years ago, told News 12.

Read the News 12 story.

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