Willoughby Family House Fire

On 11/13/22 the Willoughby Family, Wayne, Gail, Matt and Dana tragically lost their home in a fire that caused so much devastation and destruction. Thankfully, the family is safe. Their beloved pets are safe. However, their home is deemed a loss and uninhabitable.

Anyone that knows Wayne and Gail, know they are the most genuine, kind hearted and giving people. Let’s come together and help them get through the next several weeks, months and years. The Willougby Family would be the first to help in a time of need. Let's all come together to support them and let them know they don’t have to rebuild alone. We are here for them.

Please consider donating or sharing and please keep them in your thoughts ❤️

Their oldest son, Matt, was home during the fire and was able to call 911 and save himself and all of the family pets. Below is his message just days after the fire happened,

“Since it’s already out there, might as well just put it here, too.

This happened to me and my family.

Just before 3pm yesterday, while home alone, I noticed smoke coming from the wall around an upstairs outlet in the corner nearest the garage. I ran downstairs to find the front of the house already fully on fire. I called 911 and got the dogs outside. By the time I got the dogs outside, the house was already filled with smoke, and I couldn’t go back in for the cats (yes, Rule #1, never re-enter a burning building, I know). My next-door neighbor, a retired firefighter, ran over before I even heard the first sirens, grabbed a garden hose, and tried to slow down the blaze until fire engines arrived. My best friend rushed over in an off-road vehicle almost at the same moment as the first fire engine pulled up. The entire neighborhood, and many of my friends, showed up while the house still burned. Once the fire was out, we saved everything we could. Firefighters found two of the cats hiding under furniture rather quickly, but Diamond and Tessa took much longer to find; thankfully, all four are alive and well.

I want to thank everyone who showed up to support my family and help salvage what we could: Danny, Trevor, and William; the Kelly, Wetzelberger, McConville, Spioch, Sisler, and Semies families; my aunts and uncles, and my cousin Devin; and so, so many more. I honestly don’t remember everyone who showed up, it was so many people. I want to thank the firefighters from all over who worked so hard to put out the blaze. And I want to thank whatever force protected my cats—and my friends for not giving up on finding Tessa when I’d abandoned hope.

I also want to thank everyone who has reached out to my family—relatives, friends, coworkers, and members of the community—to offer help and support. Right now, we are still processing, still taking stock, and still figuring out what’s next. In the days and months to come, we will have better answers to everyone who has asked what they can do to help us. We appreciate it immensely, but right now, 34 hours later, I still don’t have a good answer. But thank you so, so much, from the bottom of my heart, just for being there.

This is a devastating loss, but it could have been so much worse. I am alive. My dogs and cats are alive. We saved far more than any of us expected. That’s what matters most.

So, um, yeah. I don’t know what else to say. I don’t know what’s next. We’re going through the unimaginable. Just … thank you.”