Donations Being Accepted for Family who Lost Home to Fire

The Portsmouth Fire Department has become a collection point for donations for the family who lost their home and two pets in a devastating fire at their Common Fence Point home in Portsmouth on Saturday.

Portsmouth Fire Department Deputy Chief Michael P. O'Brien said the fire department is not administering the event but is able to help by offering the donation point.

Gift cards and other donations, including monetary donations, can be dropped off at the Fire Department.

The effort to help the family is a grassroots push by neighbors, O'Brien said, and a private Facebook group has been created to coordinate their efforts.

Though it's outside of the scope of Fire Department's mission to provide direct aid to a person or business after a fire, the department will support "any legitimate organized effort to provide relief to a victim," O'Brien said. "However, the department will provide assistance, such as providing a collection point for donations, as long as those efforts do not negatively affect our mission as an emergency responder or expend taxpayer funding."

Stay tuned for more fundraising details as they become available.