An online fundraiser set up by a relative of the Boothbay Harbor family whose house was destroyed by fire on Christmas night has surpassed its $10,000 goal.
By 3:15 p.m. Dec. 26, the effort had raised $13,155 from 115 donors in just five hours.
The funds will benefit homeowners and newlyweds Matt and Kate Rice and Matt Rice’s 11-year-old son, Sullivan. Matt and Kate Rice married Aug. 16. Their first child together is due in May.
Meanwhile, the state fire marshal’s office ruled that the Christmas night fire that destroyed the Rice home was accidental.
Sgt. Ken Grimes of the fire marshal’s office said it started near the refrigerator and outlets. He said there may have been an electrical malfunction or power surges, due to an outage late in the afternoon.
“A lot of times when the power goes out, people are using appliances, or things are going on inside the home,” said Grimes. “(They) forget about it. The power comes back on hours later, and if an item was on or left on, something like that can be an issue.”
The family “has immediate needs between now and when insurance takes over,” including food, new clothes, and a place to live, according to the narrative on the website.
“On Christmas evening, Matt Rice returned home after a nearby holiday family gathering to find smoke billowing out of their home,” according to the site. “He frantically tried to save the two dogs and one cat, but was forced out by blinding smoke.
“The firefighters did everything they could to save the home, but it was a total loss. Their beloved pets could not be saved.”
Matt Rice works as a lobsterman and Kate Rice teaches prekindergarten at Boothbay Region Elementary School, according to the site.
“Everything they lost is too overwhelming to comprehend,” according to the site. “They have many friends reaching out to help, so this site is a tangible way to do just that.
“Thank you for your compassion and caring toward this amazing family. Continue to hold Kate, Matt, Sullivan, and baby Rice in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate the slow process of rebuilding their home.”
The fire gutted the house at 57 Lakeview Road, which is across from the Beach Cove Waterfront Inn.
Lincoln County Communications paged the Boothbay Harbor Fire Department at 8:36 p.m. on Christmas.
The house was “fully involved” when firefighters arrived, Upham said. “We had it knocked down within 45 minutes and we had it out completely within probably an hour and a half.”
The fire rekindled during the early morning hours, and Lincoln County Communications again paged the Boothbay Harbor Fire Department at 4:41 a.m., Friday, Dec. 26. Firefighters quickly extinguished the secondary fire.
The Boothbay, Edgecomb, Newcastle and Southport fire departments assisted Boothbay Harbor at the scene.