Fundraiser For Family After a House Fire in Bridgewater

A fundraiser has been created to support a family in Bridgewater after their dog died in a house fire.

On Thursday, Eric Hartmann was walking his son to the bus stop when he smelled smoke coming from his neighbor’s house on Alletra Avenue. Hartmann called 911 after spotting the fire, and immediately after, he went to investigate the scene to see if his neighbor was present.

Hartmann told Patch that “​​Nobody was home except the dog. I heard him clawing inside the house, but the smoke was too heavy that I couldn’t get in from the back door to save him.” During this time, his son and dog were safe and out of the way of the fire.

The neighbor, Marianne, lived with her dog, Max, after her husband died in 2019, Hartmann shared. He also mentioned that the house was decimated in the fire, and because she runs her business, Cupa Cabana, there, she will now have to face the difficulty of finding a home and work location.

With a desire to help, Hartmann created a GoFundMe for Marianne and Max, setting a goal of $50,000. The link to donate can be found here: gofundme.com/f/support-mariannes-recovery-from-tragic-loss

The cause of the fire is unknown at the time and investigation is still ongoing, as reported by North Branch Fire Chief Danny Russoniello.