Evans City Firefighters Collecting Donations for Family Who Lost Everything in Blaze

The Evans City Area Volunteer Fire Department is collecting donations for the Pearce family, whose mobile home was destroyed in a fire Friday.

Firefighter Brett Wagner suggested donating clothes, gift cards and other items to the family, who lost everything in the blaze.

He asked people to hold off on dropping off larger items such as furniture until the family, including Drew Pearce, his wife, Cindy, and children, Brandon, 10, and Casey, 3, are settled into a new residence.

“We’re trying to keep it light since they don’t have a place to stay,” he said.

Wagner said donations may be dropped off from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the fire hall on North Jackson Street. The Pearce family will arrived at the station around 4:30 p.m. that day to pick up the items.

Anyone interested in leaving items for the family prior to Sunday afternoon may call Wagner at 724-712-1631. He noted the station would not be manned around the clock for donation drop-offs.

In the hours after the fire, Wagner said the Evans City community already is pulling together to collect items for the Pearce family.

“A lot of people have been asking what they can do to help,” he said.

For anyone wanting to drop off children’s clothing, Wagner said Casey wear a 5T. Brandon, a student at Evans City elementary middle school, wears a size 32-inch waist pants and a size large shirt.

Drew Pearce wears a 3XL to 4XL and Cindy Pearce wears a 2XL. Wagner did not know the couple's pant sizes.

Wagner also suggested donating Target and Walmart gift cards to the family so they may buy groceries, medication and clothing.

 “Everything is truly gone,” he said.

None of the family members were home Friday as fire consumed their trailer on Pioneer Street in the Iffts Trailer Court. The flames also destroyed the family’s sports-utility vehicle.

Postal worker Jo Amerson, who happened to be on her mail route when the fire broke out, was able to get inside the trailer and rescue the family’s dog, Diesel. After dragging the unconscious shepherd-lab mix outside, Amerson performed CPR on him.

Although a little shaken up, Diesel was doing fine Friday, Drew Pearce said.

Evans City firefighters said Friday they were still trying to determine the cause of the fire.

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