Falls family’s safe, but home’s unlivable after 57th Street fire

Feb. 12--The house fire on 57th Street could have been a lot worse.

The kids are OK. Two were at school and two were at their grandfather's house. Thanks to several thoughtful and observant firemen, the three dogs and two guinea pigs made it out safely, too.

But the Keiper family home is a mess, nearly destroyed by the afternoon fire on Jan. 31.

Michele Keiper was working at her job as a waitress at the Griffin Pub when her husband phoned to say someone had just shown him an online photo of a structure fire on their block. The person asked him, "Do you know whose house this is?"

He did. It was his house. Kory Keiper immediately phoned his wife.

"When he called me I literally dropped to my knees," Michele recalled.

Kory, a mechanic for the city, raced to their home while his wife got a ride from a friend. They had to cross emergency blockades to get to their front lawn. There were five fire trucks and an emergency vehicle parked there as 20 or so firefighters busted through walls searching for the source of the fire which they later learned was started by an electrical short in the wall behind the dryer.

Michele watched as her home of 12 years, with its brick fireplace, spacious rooms and French doors, along with all the family's possessions, was decimated by the smoke and fire.

"I'm still crying," she said Thursday as she recalled the incident from the safety of her father John Religa's one-bedroom home on Laur Road, where she has been staying with her three daughters, Paige, 12, Emily, 11, and Kylie, 6, and her son, Kory Jr., 2, along with their little chihuahua, Tinkerbell. Her husband is sleeping at his parents's for the time being and the family's two other dogs, Ava and Sandy, both pit bulls are also staying with his family.

Thankfully, firemen were able to free all three dogs, who scooted out the front door as soon as it was opened. A neighbor wrangled two into the backyard, while Kory Sr. found Ava on the run on 56th Street.

As fireman searched for the cause of the smoke, which was coming from a fire inside the walls, fire inspectors Jerry Aderhold and JP Stephenson spotted the family's two guinea pigs on the third floor. They placed the pets, Potato and Scarlett, in a single cage and carried them to safety. Meanwhile, downstairs, Fire Captain Dave Ashby and firefighter Jan Krupa removed the kid's school photos from the living room to protect them from the smoke and water damage.

According to the fire report, the house at 124 57th St., was valued at $77,000 and incurred about $50,000 in structure damage and $5,000 in property damage.

All-in-all, despite losing everything but a few bags of clothes and toys, the family appears surrounded by people who care. A fundraising site has been established for the Keiper family online at www.gofundme to help them as they decide what to do next. Family, friends and strangers have left caring messages and donations there.

The city is also going to lend a hand. The family has been on the waiting list for two years to receive grant money from the city's Department of Community Development to make repairs to the house, but did not have insurance on the home -- a condition of the grant, according to Seth Piccirillo, director of Community Development.

The waiting list for the program -- which provides closing costs for qualified first-time home buyers or up to $30,000 for renovations for qualified homeowners -- currently has about 100 names. The Keipers were among 10 homeowners who had reached the top of the list and for whom construction would soon begin, providing they purchased homeowner's insurance.

Piccirillo said his department will hold the spot for the Keipers, whether the family decides to rebuild or attempts to purchase a new home.

"Our goal is to help families stay in their homes," Piccirillo said. He said he would be meeting with the couple on Tuesday to determine whether the house can be saved.

When Michele heard about the city's support, she expressed amazement and relief. "I love my neighbors, I love my street, I love my house ..."

Meanwhile, Kory Jr., just a toddler, doesn't understand what's happening. His older sisters appear to be holding up cheerfully, but Michele says the toddler misses his dog, Ava. "He keeps saying 'home,'" Michele said.

Funds are being accepted for the Keiper family at www.gofundme.com/keiper-family-fund

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