GoFundMe Page Set Up For Victims Of Nyack Fire

NYACK, NY — A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Shana and Mitch Martinez to help the family get back on their feet after losing their home at 166 Cedar Hill Ave. to fire on April 7.

Two young children were home and smelled smoke, alerted their grandmother to the fire and everyone was able to escape with only minor injuries. The alarm was called in at 3:24 p.m.

Nyack firefighters fought the blaze with assistance from Nyack, Valley Cottage, Piermont, Tarrytown and West Nyack fire departments.

Orangetown police detectives and the Rockland County BCI Arson Unit investigated the cause of the intense fire which started on the ground floor and severely damaged the two-and-a-half story home.

Orangetown Det. Sgt. James Sullivan told The Journal News Wednesday that investigators believe the blaze was accidental. It probably began near the fireplace which had recently been serviced.

However the house did not make it, so the community is helping them by raising funds, starting meal trains, and gathering donated household items and clothes.

We, the friends and family of Shana, Mitch and Maisie, are grateful that everyone escaped without serious injury," said GoFundMe campaign organizer Angie Gaul. "If you know Shana and Mitch, then you have been touched by their ability to build community wherever they go, from the boardroom to the classroom, from the art studio to parent playgroups, from the suburbs to the playa. This GoFundMe will help them begin to rebuild, as they face the daunting task of replacing all of their possessions."

Learn more and contribute here.

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