Community Rallies To Help 24 Left Homeless By Hampton Bays Fire

HAMPTON BAYS, NY — The community is rallying to help after a blaze at a former motel in Hampton Bays recently left 24 people homeless.

According to Southampton Town officials, the fire broke out about 4 p.m. on April 1 at the motel located at 317 East Montauk Highway; the 8-room motel was "fully engulfed" in flames.

No one was hurt in the fire, officials said.

Southampton Town Public Safety and Emergency Management Administrator Ryan Murphy said after the blaze, 24 people were being provided with assistance by the American Red Cross.

Reportedly once known as the Sea View Motel, the property is still before the town's justice court for violations cited by the town, Murphy said.

The investigation is ongoing as to the cause of the fire, although, according to a resident, it may have started on the first floor due to cooking, Murphy said.

The community has rallied to help: A GoFundMe page, "Help Families Displaced By Hampton Bays Fire," was created by Mary Beth Moore for Centro Corazón de María.

"Five families — small children, teenagers, and fathers and mothers — have only been left with the clothes on their backs," Moore wrote. "This tragedy is compounded by the housing crisis we are facing on the East End of Long Island and the families affected will need the community's support now more than ever."

Centro Corazón de María is helping the families who have been displaced by the fire; all the funds raised will be distributed among the affected people, she said.

Those wishing to help can either donate to the GoFundMe or mail a check to Centro Corazón de María, 31 E. Montauk Highway, Hampton Bays, NY 11946 (please indicate that the check is for the families affected by the fire). Cash can also be donated directly at the Centro Corazón de María office in Hampton Bays.

Other items needed include school supplies, toys, computers or tablets between 2 and 14 years old; household items such as sheets, blankets, kitchen items, including pots and dishes; bathroom items such as towels and shower curtains; gift cards; and other household items. Clothing donations are not needed at this time, those organizing the effort said.

Donations can also be brought to the Latin Center Store in Hampton Bays at 39 W. Montauk Highway.

A GoFundMe page, Help The Gonzalez Family Rebuild After House Fire, was also created by Amber Nicole of Hampton Bays to support one of the families displaced: Jennifer Gonzalez, 22, her mother, and her two younger sisters, 12 and 14, who lost all of their possessions and possibly, three of their six cats, who are still missing, in the blaze.

One of the four cats originally missing was found recently, a miracle from the ashes, all agreed.

Jennifer and her family "lost everything when their home went on fire April 1," she wrote. "With only their memories and the clothes they wore that day, this family of four is looking to rebuild their lives."

The funds will be used for financial assistance — the family is now living in a motel — and to help with finding a new home. Also needed are all the items lost, that make up a life, including kitchen utensils, and furniture.

The family, like the others who lived in the former motel, is now without a place to call home.

"They are currently looking for an affordable rental in Hampton Bays where the two youngest girls are going to school," Amber said. "Any donation would be greatly appreciated."

To donate to the GoFundMe set up for all left displaced, click here.

To donate to the GoFundMe for the Gonzalez family, click here.

The Hampton Bays Fire Department was at the scene; the Southampton Fire Department sent units for mutual aid. The Flanders Fire Department was standing by at the Hampton Bays Fire Department headquarters.

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