Help Frank's Family Rebuild After Devastating Fire

Created by Mom (Sharon Ditirro) with the help of a family friend. We know this is supposed to be short, but Summer sent over her part in the story, and feel to get the whole pictures of Frank and his Family's loss it needs included. If you found your way to our fundraiser, please read, donate if you can, and share the link far and wide.

Thank you...Grand Ma Sharon with love.

The Chico Park Fire has left my Son Frank and his family Homeless.

I'm asking for your help in helping my son rebuild the homestead he breathed into life, the small cabin he rented and turned into the home he lovingly worked on for his girl Summer and their beautiful children, their dogs, cats and a few other critters. From home improvements to figuring out how to bring Solar and running water to the beautiful off grid home, it's been the project of his life, his second love after his girl and their kids.

As of today, August 9th...

Because staying in a Motel is not affordable ($2600 a week...three rooms), Summer for the time being has taken Bam Bam and the baby Pearl to her Mother's place in Sacramento.

Erin stayed behind in Cohasset with Frank to help clean out the homes that were not burned in the fire. Frank and her are staying in a small camping trailer as he is doing security for the Community Center 24/7 (one of the few buildings remaining in town) and running the portable showers brought in so people can at least clean up, feel a little human.

The Mountain, the community of Cohazzet with all their friends is home for them, and they and the community will rebuild, but Frank, Summer and the kids need a helping hand to get back up and on their feet. Perhaps to fully understand the love this family has for Cohasset, it is best to hand the typewriter over to Summer.

Summer's Story of the community, and their harrowing escape.

Hi All:

I had visited Cohasset twice, and on the third visit I never left, I never left, knew I had found HOME. In those three visits I had fallen in love with this community and it's heart.

I was pregnant with my 3rd child and I wanted a better place to raise my kids. Our home on the mountain, Frank, the people...it's magical to know you found the place you belong, the place you were meant to be, the place I will ALWAYS call my home. I'm so grateful to have been fully embraced by the love that this little town has to give, it truly was like we (my two children, the one on the way had at long last found our family and community.

When I gave birth to my youngest little daughter Pearl a few months back IN OUR HOME, one of my new best friends jumped over her back fence to our backyard, to be with me during the birth of the prettiest baby you'd ever want to see.

We really fell in love with our little home on the mountain. and though the physical structures are now ash, our hearts and souls are still with the land, and whatever our future struggles in rebuilding will be, Frank, myself, Erin, Bam Bam and Pearl are where we are meant to be...HOME.

So many have asked me what our escape was like...the simple answer would be harrowing, but that does not tell the story.

My daughter's friend, Abby, had stayed the night and was still at our house when the Evacuation Warning came at 3:39 PM and I started grabbing what I could in the few minutes I had...Baby formula, clean bottles, and disposable diapers we had for Pearl and a few other items in the time I had...a matter of MINUTES. With the kids in my car, and the few belongings they grabbed as I gathered things for the baby the car was PACKED. Trust me when I say, with a little Kia, and extra teenager, there really wasn't room for much but it would have to be enough.

As I rushed my kids down the mountain to safety I saw dozens of cars headed up to get their families and pets, then dozens of emergency vehicles (I now know those Emergency Vehicles were the road block that would keep us all out as the fire raged). As I raced down the mountain I and the kids saw entire families with their pets and a few belongings standing at the end of their driveways waiting to get picked up to get out before it was to late.

My boyfriend Frank and his brother somehow saved all 4 of our dogs and the 3 cats, but had to open the door to the chicken coop and hope for the best. The two of them with our pets got out minutes ahead of the fire jumping the road and closing the only road down the mountain.

We got confirmation on Sunday afternoon that our home was gone. Everything we've ever owned, collected, or enjoyed is gone. The place I had my youngest child in is gone. Our beautiful town is gone.I don't know where to go from here or what to do, but I do know that I'm grateful we're all alive, doing OK, and are together. Know that we, our friends will find the strength to persevere and our beautiful home, our beautiful Cohasset like a Phoenix will rise from the ashes to again be the beautiful place it has always been.

We want those visiting our fund raiser to know what the money will be used for.

A) Getting the three children clothing...they all left with just the clothes on their backs and a few personal items...they come first.

B) food and lodging...after the fire Frank's business was burned down and will have to be rebuilt, but the three children, one of them less than a year old still need to eat...OH, and diapers...lots of diapers.

*note-the fire is still raging, so going to be a spell before the actual clean up and starting over can begin, but our plans are already under way.

C) Temporary housing (Motel is costing $2800 a week), and hopefully within two weeks into a used Prowler Camping Trailer that a friend has said we can park on his land that escaped the flames.

D) Beginning the task of rebuilding, starting over. For now, renting a piece of property, furniture, appliances...living off the grid, new solar/generator system.

Frank is a good man, a great father and will work to build his family a new place to call home as they begin their homesteading journey over again...he just needs help as we try to cope with an unexpected and tragic forest fire that has taken everything we owned.

We are all safe, and though hurting, our hearts beat strong, and we are looking forward to that day when again Frank is working the grill at our communities big events such as the Mountain Music Festival, and our booth at the local Bazaar.

From Frank's Mom Sharon

I just want to say thank you to everybody who's contributed money or will contribute to help my son Frank, his beautiful fiancee Summer and their three kids...AND THE DOGS AND CATS rebuild.

Just a quick update...it's been 6 days since the fire... My son, family, and friends are officially homeless...

Imagine the house from The Wizard of Oz... Nothing left... sucked up into the air...They called them firenadoes! As in fire tornadoes! Unbelievable!

A bit of a family photo album.

Grandma Sha Sha holding her newest granddaughter Pearl on a recent visit out to Cohasset.

Frank with his beautiful new daughter Pearl

Summer loves her new home ALMOST as much as she loves her children and Frank, though newborn Pearl is the mother of her eyes.

Erin with one of the family dogs loves the mountain, and has blossomed since moving in a year ago. She's made new friends, loves attending dances, and even after the fire wants to stay in Cohasset...it's her home.

With a name like Bam Bam what can you say...a wondrous beautiful ball of non-stop energy and a beautiful soul.

The Homestead before the Firenado Park Fire took it all away...Looking at our pictures, remembering what beautiful times and memories built there, leaving Cohasset for my son Frank and his family is not an option.

We all keep shedding tears as the fire keeps burning, our friends homes in danger of ending up just like ours, but once the Park Fire is contained, we will all return to the beautiful community we call home and start the task of rebuilding our own little slice of heaven up on "The Mountain"

The new story starts with the ashes of what once was, and will be again.

Mother...Sharon Ditirro lives in Valley Cottage in NY

Frank Ditirro is the beneficiary of the fundraiser lives on "The Mountain" in Cohasset, California just up the road from Chico with his family, and has lost everything to the Park Fire.