Weekend house fire displaces Meridian family

The fire gutted the garage and damaged the adjacent home near Black Cat and Franklin roads Sunday afternoon, Capt. Joe Bongiorno said Monday evening, and the cause is still under investigation.

A resident reported the fire about 1:15 p.m. after she opened the door to let her dog out and saw and smelled smoke coming from the garage, Bongiorno said. The woman and her daughter got out safely, as did their dog and cat, he said. The house, which was being remodeled, did not yet have smoke detectors, he said.

The family rented the home but did not have renters' insurance, he said. A local motel and the firefighters' Local 4627 Benevolent Fund provided assistance, and a friend set up a GoFundMe page to help cover expenses for the five-member Friesen family. As of 8 p.m. Monday, people had contributed more than $2,000 toward the $5,000 goal and offered to donate furniture and other goods.

This story was originally published January 11, 2016 at 8:12 PM with the headline "Weekend house fire displaces Meridian family."