Rudd Home Destroyed by Fire, GoFundMe Established for Family of Five

Fire has destroyed the house of a Floyd County family of five, with a GoFundMe account established to help them recover.

The Rudd Volunteer Fire Department responded to a fully engulfed house fire Friday (06.05) night at 603 6th Street in Rudd. Firefighters from Rockford, Nora Springs, Floyd, Marble Rock, and Osage fire departments also responded to the blaze but were unable to save the home.

Floyd County Search & Rescue, Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, and Floyd County Emergency Management Agency also provided mutual aid.

According to Alyssa Marinero, the coworker organizing the GoFundMe fundraiser, Christopher Deetz, Trisha Ott and their three children lost their home in a fire that destroyed personal belongings, clothing, furniture and other essentials. The family also lost two dogs in the fire.

Marinero said the family is now trying to recover from the loss while rebuilding their lives. She said Christopher Deetz is a veteran who works for Servpro and helps others recover after disasters and emergencies.

The fundraiser goal is $30,000 for temporary housing, living expenses, clothing, furniture, essential belongings and rebuilding costs. As of 12:30 PM Monday (06.08), over $12,000 had been raised for the family.

***Pic courtesy Rudd Fire Department

It’s the second devastating house fire in 10 days in western Floyd County.

On May 26th, the Rockford home of Mike Glass was lost to an early morning fire. Glass was able to escape with his two cats.

The GoFundMe on Glass’ behalf describes him as a dedicated member of the Rockford community for over 45 years and is a veteran of the Persian Gulf and Somalia.

The GoFundMe has a goal of $5,000. As of 12:30 PM Monday, $520 had been raised.