A family who experienced a serious crash a year ago has now been displaced from their home near McHenry following a fire that left one of the family’s pets dead Wednesday.
The McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded around 2:50 p.m. Wednesday to the 500 block of Rand Drive in unincorporated McHenry for a call of a structure fire.
Firefighters arrived to find light smoke showing from the single-story residence.
It was reported that the fire was in the basement of the home. Two teenagers were home at the time and were able to escape.
Firefighters reported that a space heater possibly caused the fire.
The Spring Grove and Fox Lake fire departments assisted McHenry firefighters at the scene.
A friend of the homeowners said that the owners, Sindy and Josh Dayment, need help following the fire, which killed one of the family’s pets.
Sindy is a cancer survivor and Josh served in the U.S. Navy.
Sindy Dayment and two of her children were involved in a severe car crash a year ago, family friend Jason Markham said.
Sindy Dayment had recently been cleared to return to work following the crash.
Markham has created a GoFundMe account to raise money for the family’s immediate needs.
“She is currently using her credit card for essentials. Let’s help ease this burden a little for them,” Markham said.
The fundraiser has already collected $2,000 for the family.