'He Saved Our Lives:' Family Who Survived Nassau House Fire Looks Back On Devastating Day, Heroic Stranger

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — After 39 years in a house filled with love and laughter, the Hillie Family's home will have to be renovated once again following the devastating December fire.

Claudia Hillie, 78, and Alan Hillie, 81, have been together for 53 years and have lived in the house since 1986. They were living with their daughter, Melissa, who was also displaced after the fire. Claudia said the house holds memories throughout the years: "I raised two children here."

Friends of Melissa organized a GoFundMe, which has raised more than $10K from 99 donors. Claudia said they can use all the help they can get.

Although they lost everything physical in the fire, Claudia said she was thankful her family, including two cats– Sherpa and Kona– made it out alive. One of her cats was rescued immediately and had to be hospitalized with pneumonia, and the other one was stuck in the house for three days until a Good Samaritan set a trap to rescue her.

"What has gotten me through the beginning of this nightmare is the kindness of people in this community: the firefighter who rescued one of my cats, the neighbors who brought us food, and so much more," Claudia said. "But this is only the beginning. We have to rebuild our house that we loved, which we renovated when we moved here, and replace the contents that were ruined. There’s a lot ahead for us. We’re doing the best we can."

Looking back on that devastating day, Claudia said a passerby ultimately saved their lives.

"It was around 6:30 or 7 p.m., and I was in the kitchen, and my husband was in the basement," she began. "I hear this banging on the front door. A guy was shouting, 'Get out of your house. There's a fire in your backyard.' I looked out the window and saw that the gazebo was ablaze. My husband built it."

She added that the fire spread quickly, igniting everything made of wood in the backyard— including the deck, which her husband had also built.

"Heat started cracking the kitchen windows, and the next thing I know, I yell at my husband to get out," Claudia said. "I was in a state of shock."

In the chaotic moments after they escaped the burning home, Claudia said everything felt like a blur.

"I didn't even get a chance to get the name of the man," she said in tears. "He saved our lives. The Hillie Family can't thank him enough. We want to thank him."

As they stood outside with firefighters, she said her cats were on her mind.

"I was outside my house crying and told a volunteer firefighter, John Wilton, my cats were inside," she said. "A few minutes later, he came out with one of the cats soaking wet in the carrier."

Along with first responders, she said neighbors also showed up to offer support.

"A neighbor came running up the street to give me a blanket," she said. "They were so kind.
Their backyard was on a hill, and she said it was like a bomb had hit. It was a windy night.

The cause of the fire remains unclear, but they said it began in the backyard, before spreading to the gazebo and deck, and eventually reaching the crawl space. Smoke poured into the attic. While the front of the house appears unharmed from the outside, the interior sustained extensive damage, and all of the walls will need to be removed.

The family had difficulty finding a rental home after the fire and had to stay in a hotel. She said the renovation of their home can take up to a year. She said the house is ripped down to the studs right now, and she just wishes for a routine again, outside of a hotel.

"I want some normalcy in my life," she said. "Everything in our house will have to be replaced, but the memories I have are trying to keep me strong."

In a full-circle moment, she explained her husband has been trying to keep them focused on moving forward. Her husband was 43 years old when he was working on their house, building the gazebo, deck, and bathroom.

"My husband said to me, 'So we'll live in the basement again,'" she said. "We lived in the basement many years ago when we first renovated."

She said they have been living in a world of real ugliness, but all she's seeing around her is a lot of care and love.

"Amidst all the tragedy, what I've seen is kindness and goodness," she said. "People have been responding on a very human level. The communication with the world can't be replaced, that personal connection. Maybe there are some haters out there, but I don't know them."

Claudia said she hopes she can get back to work soon. She used to work as a teacher in a NYC elementary school, but now works as a peer advocate for seniors

Claudia also shared her gratitude for the many people who stepped in to help in the aftermath of the fire.

"I want to thank the community and the people in the Port Diner for giving me hugs, the realtor who told me I have a big heart, the firefighter who went into the house right after the fire when it was wet and smoky, Marilyn Bernstein who took us in right after the fire for a few days, my mailman who told us he's so sorry — and so many more," she said.