A fire tore through a family home in Wayland on Friday morning, destroying a house that had been in one family for more than 50 years and displacing eight people across three generations.
The fire
The fire broke out around 10 a.m. Nov. 13 at a house near 4th Street in Wayland, in Allegan County, according to WOOD TV8. By the time firefighters got the blaze under control, the home was destroyed, along with nearly everything the family owned.
Wayland Fire Department officials confirmed that eight residents were displaced, and that several family pets were lost in the fire, according to WZZM 13.
The family
All eight people living in the home — three generations of the Vanderploeg and Fifield family — made it out safely, according to a fundraiser organized by family friend Jaden Pierce. The household included Keith and Margaret Vanderploeg; their son Ronald Fifield, his wife Sonia, and their daughters Scarlett (3) and Esme (1); and their daughter Tabitha and her baby son Henry (1).
The family is staying with friends while they recover. Tabitha, who was taking college classes remotely from home, lost her laptop and school materials and has had to cancel her classes, the fundraiser said.
What's next
Friends have organized a GoFundMe campaign to help the family cover temporary lodging, food, clothing, baby essentials and basic household items as they rebuild. Donated items are also being accepted as the family works to start over.
