On September 2, 2026, the home in Norton, Ohio that Tonya Brown has lived in, loved, and raised her children in for the last 25+ years caught fire and quickly spread to engulf the rest of the home. While preparing dinner, a propane tank caught fire on the porch and exploded, quickly spreading to to the main part of the home.

Thankfully, Tonya and the other residents were unharmed and able to escape the fire with all of the dogs and one of the cats. (Pip the cat is still unaccounted for but he has been spotted outside so we are hoping for the best!)

Tonya, Nick, and Christian lost everything in the house. We are asking for donations to help offset the cost of necessities in the wake of this tragedy. It is expected to be a total loss and re-entry is unlikely.

What you can do to help:

-- Monetary donations (GoFundMe) will help Tonya obtain any necessities quickly

-- Digital gift cards (via email/text) to restaurants, grocery stores, clothing stores, pet stores etc.

-- Physical donations (local delivery) clothes, bedding, daily toiletries, and prepared meals

-- Amazon Wish List (link is coming)

I personally spent a ton of time in this home over the last 20 years and I can barely comprehend the amount of loss in just a matter of minutes. Tonya raised her children in this home, loved and lost her husband in this home, and was working over the past few years to give it some updates. Over the years, Tonya fostered so many young people needing a temporary room, always helping those around her. Nick and Christian were two of those people she was helping, and they have also lost everything they brought into the home.

The last few years have been incredibly hard on Tonya and her family after the loss of her husband Jeremy in 2022, losing her father in April 2025, her mother this past March, and her sister just this past May. Please give anything you can, from a kind word to any kind of donation, to help this family get a semblance of normalcy.

Please feel free to reach out to myself (Renee Romano) or Tonya's daughters- Renee Wrobel and Paige Brown - with any questions or for local delivery.