WEST HENRIETTA, N.Y. — A devastating apartment building fire forced 25 people from their home in West Henrietta over the weekend — including the Davis family, who lost everything in the blaze, including their dog, while their cat remains missing.
Tamika Davis and her daughters were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs, which aren’t even their own. The Red Cross has placed them in a hotel, and the community is stepping up to help.
“I got the call the house was on fire,” Davis said Thursday.
The fire occurred just after 4:45 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 4, at their home on Farrell Road. Davis described her reaction to the scene.
“Like my life is destroyed. My kids’ lives are destroyed, my routine. My everything is displaced,” Davis said.
“Our dog died, Willow,” she added. “And our cat, but we don’t know. We haven’t seen the cat, so we don’t know if the cat died inside or if the cat got away.”
Thursday was Davis’s first time back since the fire, and it was an emotional experience for her.
“Some days are harder than others. Some days I cry all day, cry, call somebody to cry,” Davis said.
The family’s personal items now cover their front yard, and Davis is unable to enter her home to see if anything is salvageable.
“I’m sure it’s a catastrophe in there. Even walking up, it just makes me sick to my stomach,” Davis said.
Despite the loss, Davis expressed gratitude for the support from friends, family, the community, the Henrietta school district, and the City of Rochester.
“I’m very grateful. Instead of planning somewhere or looking somewhere to move, I could’ve been planning funerals. People could’ve been planning funerals for us,” Davis said.
For those interested in donating, Davis said every little bit counts right now, including coats, boots, sheets, and towels. Needed are: women’s undergarments size 38 DD; coats, size large; boots, size 9; sheets, towels and washcloths; dish sets; pots; pans; comforter sets, twin and queen; laundry soap; Wegmans gift cards; gas cards; transportation for kids to school; Delta Sonic gift cards; and cleaning supplies. The supplies can be dropped off at PI’s Lounge at 495 West Ave., Rochester (attn. Jacqueline Griffin or Larry Copeland); or Allstars Motorsport, 484 Lyell Ave. (attn. Tanesha Mundy).
A GoFundMe has been launched for the family, with $3,795 raised as of Thursday night.
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