OCEAN VIEW, Del. - A fire victim's family is seeking donations to help their 68-year-old loved one rebuild her life and home in Ocean View.
The place Bonnie Cooper called home for nearly 10 years is destroyed. Broken glass, crumbled roofing and charred family treasures are all that is left behind. Cooper tears up just thinking about it.
"It rips me apart every time I see it and when I walk in it, I'm like oh my gosh," Coopers said.
The Delaware State Fire Marshal investigated the fire at her two-story home last week. Fire officials have not confirmed, but neighbors and family members say lightning is believed to be the cause of the fire. Cooper was not home at the time because she was away, caring for her 92-year-old mother, who she now lives with.
"They heard like an explosion at 10 o' clock that night," Cooper said. "They looked and looked and couldn't find anything, but they said people's stuff was falling off the walls, and people's houses were shaking."
Firefighters with the Bethany Beach Volunteer Fire Company said the fire broke out just before 5:30 a.m. in the 400 block of Katie Street on June 3rd. When they arrived, the firefighters say flames were shooting through the roof.
Pictures from the scene show extensive damage to the home, but no word on the official damage estimate. Cooper said a massive hole opened up outside of her bedroom door. Family members believed lightning hit a gas line beneath the floor.
Cooper's sister, Shirley Price, is trying to help her get back on her feet. Price created a page for donations. It's called
"Bonnie's Fire Fund."
" She really needs it," Prices said. "She's worked hard all her life and she helps me take care of mom right now. She needs her own space."
Fire crews from Millville, Roxana, Frankford, Rehoboth Beach, Selbyville, Dagsboro, and Millsboro Fire Companies all either responded or provided stand-by crews for the house fire.
