PORT ANGELES, Wash. — A Port Angeles family is working to rebuild after police say a woman set fire to their home, nearly destroying all of their belongings and killing their dog.
Without insurance coverage for most of the damage, the family isn’t quite sure how they’ll move forward.
“You have to go every day,” said Xander Maestas, who lived in the home.
Maestas and the six others who lived in the home are now displaced, cramming in with other relatives for the time being.
While many of their belongings were destroyed, he says the hardest part has been losing their four-year-old Great Dane Niblets.
“She was the sweetest dog,” he said. “A big baby, that’s how Great Danes are, you know?”
Police arrested a suspect after the fire. Documents show she is related to the family and might have been experiencing a mental health crisis.
“It’s harder on my mom,” Maestas said. “Because she’s just a sweet person and she would let everybody stay here if she could.”
A fundraiser started for the family has been a glimmer of hope, raising more than $4,000 so far to help them rebuild.
“Growing up around this area, it really does kind of give you an idea how well people are and how amazing the community is,” Maestas said. “There’s people out of town that I haven’t talked to, and our family hasn’t talked to in a long time, and they’ve, they’ve helped and reached out.”
If you’d like to support this family, you can donate to the fundraiser here.
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