Fire Dislocates McLean Family, Just Days Before Christmas

Friends and family are trying to help the Sears family of McLean, whose house caught fire and was destroyed over the weekend, displacing them just before Christmas. The family of four is Oran and Jill Sears and their two sons.

The house was destroyed by the fire, causing at least $150,000 in damage.

Oran Sears is a softball coach in McLean, and is on the board of Fairfax Youth Fastpitch, as well as being the Softball Director for a Pediatric Cancer fundraising tournament each year, according to his sister, who posted information about her brother on GoFundMe, a fundraising site, where friends and family are helping the family by making donations.

Jill Sears is a firefighter going through fire school in Fairfax County Fire & Rescue. She has endured intense training in fighting fires and saving other people lives for several years. Just a few years ago she was a teacher at a local high school, and quickly realized that her heart was fighting fires and not teaching. She changed careers and has enjoyed it ever since.

A GoFundMe campaign has seen 145 people donate nearly $11,000 in two days. Here’s what happened, according to an account written on the fundraising site by Sissy Strother, sister of Oran Sears:

“Today 12/20/14, 5 days till Christmas the unexpected happened to my brother Oran, sister-in-law Jill and their two little boys. My brother was away in Texas on business, his wife Jill (a Fairfax County Fire Recruit) was home studying for her exams for fire school.

Their oldest son just left home to go to his aunts house for the night and their 3 year old son went to grandmas house down the street. My sister-in-law just laid down for an afternoon nap after her boys left to take a break from her studies. She awoke to the sound of an alarm going off in her home. As she jumped up out of the bed she quickly realized that her home was on fire.

As the thick black smoke hit her she dropped to the floor, closed her bedroom door and called 911. She jumped out of her bedroom window leaving everything behind but her phone to escape the horrific fire that was tearing through her home. Their home was severely damaged from the fire and all their belongings have been smothered in smoke and soaked in water from the firemens fighting the fire.

Many friends, family members and co-workers are offereing their support for this family. I have set this account up to help raise money to replace the items that my brother and his family has lost. It was God’s Christmas Miracle that the boys were not home when this tragedy occured and that their mom was able to escape without injury. We are asking everyone to please lend a helping hand to help this wonderful family pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives.”

You can make a donation by visiting the GoFundMe site.

PHOTO of home on fire from GoFundMe page