Riverside Fire Victims Need Help

The family of five whose home in Riverside went up in flames Wednesday could use some help from the community.

"The family lost everything, including the cars parked in the driveway," said a board member with the Riverside Homeowner's Association, which is coordinating a donation drive to help the family.

The home in the 1300 block of Marigold Court will be completely demolished, the board member said, and the family is currently staying at a hotel in Aberdeen until the insurance company can find temporary housing.

The following items are needed:

• Twin 4-year-old daughters wear 4t and 5t clothes and size 9 shoes.
• The father wears size 34 pants, medium/large shirts and size 9.5 shoes.
• The mother wears size 16 and 7.5 wide shoes.
• The grandmother wears size 18 and 8.5 shoes.
• Gift cards are welcome.

"They also need a lot of prayer," the Riverside board member added.

Donations will be accepted at Liberty Tax office in Box Hill (2927 Emmorton Rd., Abingdon) during its business hours.

The Riverside Community Center (1 Church Creek Rd., Aberdeen) will accept donations one day only: Sunday, Jan. 12, from noon to 3 p.m.

The fire that ravaged the family's home was sparked by an overloaded power cord, which brought crews from around Harford County Wednesday as the house went up in smoke. The blaze caused $300,000 in damage, and the house was considered a total loss, according to the fire marshal's office. 

The Riverside board member said the homeowner/father works at McCormick and is a Detroit Lions fan. His wife is a stay-at-home mom raising the couple's twin 4-year-old daughters and caring for her mother, who is a retired nurse with a disability.

Related:

• Riverside Home Charred by Household Appliance
• Smoke Plumed Above Riverside House Fire