Fire Ravages Home In Glen Ellyn; 'This Tragedy Couldn't Have Happened To A Nicer Family'

GLEN ELLYN, IL — A Glen Ellyn family is left without their home and most of their possessions after a fire ravaged their house Monday. The fire gutted the home in the 1N700 block of Forest Avenue and quickly spread to the neighboring residence.

Matt Schubkegel & Anne Kappa, who started a GoFundMe for the Rigalis, live two doors down from the family and saw Mondays tragic event and aftermath take place. "Not much is salvageable, if anything," the page states.

Schubkegel told Patch he saw Bill Rigali after the fire and the first thing Bill did was ask how he was doing. "Bill greeted me and immediately asked how my day was. I was floored. His house burned down and he thought to ask about my day before anything."

He added, "People like this are rare." "This tragedy couldn't have happened to a nicer family."

Bill Rigali is responsible for organizing the annual block party, Schubkegel said, and "makes sure everyone feels like "one big family on our street." The Rigalis have three adult children who grew up on the block (two who still lived in the home). They also have two grandchildren.

The dedication goes on to say, "[Through] this today, the whole family is beyond grateful and still full of positive energy and life. They know things could've been much worse. They still have each other and that's all that matters to them."

The Glen Ellyn Fire Company is still investigating the cause of the blaze.

If you'd like to donate to the Rigali family, visit the Rigalis House Fire GoFundMe page.

>>Image via GoFundMe