Garrett, Flavia and Giovanni Lauber lost everything in the fire, alongside neighbors Eileen Rush, Keith Morgan and Leslie Poley. None had renter’s insurance, according to GoFundMe pages

Six residents – three senior citizens (and their pets) and a young couple with a baby and a dog – have been displaced in the wake of the massive house fire at 406 E. Main St. in Collegeville Borough Tuesday afternoon and fundraisers have been launched to gather support.

Garrett Lauber, his wife Flavia and their son Giovanni, lost everything in the fire, alongside neighbors Eileen Rush, Keith Morgan and Leslie Poley.

“We are absolutely blown away by the outpouring of support from everyone and can’t thank you enough,” wrote Lauber on Facebook. “I wanted to turn everyone’s attention to our neighbors: Leslie, Keith and Eileen. They also lost everything and all live alone.”

Lauber said it was important to bring the community together to support everyone who was impacted by the tragedy.

“God bless you all, thanks to everyone who supported us and a huge thank you to the firefighters from all over that came to help,” Lauber wrote.

    Screenshot from Facebook video (Credit: Collegeville Community Facebook/https://www.facebook.com/reel/1447798256461144)
  

Eileen Rush

Rush has two cats, Tequila and Gaga. Rush was the one who informed the Laubers of the fire and let Flavia know to get out of the house.

“(Eileen) had a wonderful little garden that she always gave us fresh veggies from. She is the one who alerted my wife about the fire and allowed her to escape with our baby and dog,” Lauber wrote. “She is now left without a home along with her cats. I am setting this up in hopes of helping her get back on her feet and to help with her immediate needs for herself and cats.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, $581 was raised toward the $7,000 goal.

Donate to Rush’s GoFundMe here.

Keith Morgan

Morgan has a cat named Lady Diana. In a report on NBC10, Morgan said he had to push past firefighters to save his cat.

“Keith lost everything he owns. To make this tragic situation even more difficult, Keith did not have renters insurance,” wrote Lauber on the GoFundMe. “The fire left Keith with nothing but the clothes on his back. He needs our help to cover immediate expenses for temporary housing, food, and basic necessities, like clothing and toiletries. Beyond that, the long-term goal is to help him rebuild his life.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, $571 was raised toward the $7,500 goal.

Donate to Morgan’s GoFundMe here.

Leslie Poley

Poley lived across the hall from the Laubers and is one of their dog’s favorite people.

“What started as a normal day had everyone rushing home from work. No one was able to save their home. Fortunately, everyone and all pets made it out but we are all without homes or personal belongings,” wrote Lauber. “I am setting this up in hopes of recouping some of her losses as we unfortunately did not have renters insurance.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, $1,439 was raised toward the $6,500 goal.

Donate to Poley’s GoFundMe here.

Lauber Family

Garett’s father, Larry Lauber, launched a GoFundMe for his son’s family.

“Today, our family faced an unimaginable tragedy … Thanks to Flavia’s quick thinking and bravery, they were able to escape the flames, along with their beloved mini dachshund, Milly,” Lauber wrote. “Unfortunately, the fire has left them with nothing. The age of the building and the dry conditions led to rapid fire spread, causing the second floor to collapse completely. They lost everything: their home, cherished belongings, and all of Giovanni’s essentials — stroller, car seat, clothes, toys, and all the necessary supplies like diapers and wipes. We are reaching out for your support during this difficult time.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, $16,050 was raised toward the $18,000 goal.

Donate to the Laubers here.

    

    

“I believe all our neighbors are staying with their own relatives in nearby towns, however we do plan to meet in the next few days to discuss some legal stuff,” Flavia wrote in the Collegeville Community Facebook group. “You can feel free to drop off the gift cards with us and we will make sure to hand them to them.”  

Gift cards may be dropped off for neighbors at Collegeville Borough Hall. Collegeville Fire Co. has a secure mailbox inside its double glass doors, on the far right.  

According to reports from the scene, one firefighter was hurt while battling the blaze and was taken to a nearby hospital.

Collegeville Police Chief John Barnshaw told NBC10 that contractors were on the roof doing work at the time of the fire.

“Contractors were on the roof, they were doing work,” Barnshaw said. “We got them off the roof. They were safe. We got everybody evacuated from the building as well.”

PerkValleyNow has reached out to Collegeville Fire Co. for an update on the aftermath of the fire.

Read more on the fire and watch video of the blaze here.