Update: A GoFundMe fundraising campaign was created to help three sisters who were recently displaced because of a house fire caused by faulty wiring, according to the family.
The sisters, Patricia Hudson, 45, Diane Poley, 55, and Alice Vaughn, 58, are seeking financial help to find another place to live.
Hudson said her niece, Michelle Clair, created the fundraising page on Thursday. No donations have been contributed so far.
“The power has been shut off and they cannot stay in the house,” Clair stated in a message on the page. “They have lost most of the essentials due to smoke and water damage, as well as medications that need to be replaced.”
The sisters have been staying at the Historic Driftwood Resort since the Wednesday fire that left them temporarily without a home. The fire was caused by wiring from the air conditioning unit, Indian River County Fire Rescue officials said.
Estimates on damage to the home, located at 19th Street and 19th Avenue, were not immediately available.
The sisters are renters at the home. Hudson said the homeowner has not reached out to them to offer any assistance.
Earlier story
Photo contributed by Jim Strauser Jr.
VERO BEACH — A house fire that displaced three sisters and temporarily closed 19th Street was caused by faulty wiring with the air conditioning unit, authorities said.
Indian River County Fire Rescue crews responded to the blaze about 1 p.m. Wednesday at the two-story residence at 19th Street and 19th Avenue, just down the street from Vero Beach High School. One of the sisters, Patricia Hudson, 45, was inside the home and evacuated before fire rescue crews arrived.
Hudson said she was watching television in her room when a person knocked on the front door and told her the home was on fire.
“When I walked through the living room to answer the door, I smelled the fire,” Hudson said. “When I opened the door, I could see flames coming from underneath the home.”
The flames began underneath the residence and spread through the interior walls, reaching the second floor, Fire Rescue spokesman Cory Richter said. The home is up on blocks and not on a foundation, Richter said.
Crews knocked down the flames about 1:25 p.m. and fully extinguished the blaze at 2:45 p.m.
No injuries were reported from the fire. Charred marks from the flames could be seen on the outer walls on the side of the home.
Richter said ongoing electrical issues with the air conditioning unit caused the blaze.
“They’ve been having electrical issues over the last month. They replaced it last month,” Richter said.
The blaze leaves Hudson and her two sisters Diane Poley, 55, and Alice Vaughn, 58, temporarily without a home because of smoke damage. The home also has water damage from the water hoses. Power to the home is shut off, Richter said.
“I don’t know where we’re going to live.” Hudson said. “We just spent all of our money moving in here.”
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The flames closed 19th Street between 20th and 18th avenues for a couple hours, according to Vero Beach police. Red Cross South Florida Region crews were called to the scene to assist the three sisters with shelter, Richter said.
Photos by Nick Samuel
This article was originally published May 2, 2018.