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Family Dealing With Heartache

BUTLER TOWNSHIP — A family whose home in Schuylkill County was wrecked by an early morning fire is pulling together. Fire wrecked the Robbins family home ...

BUTLER TOWNSHIP -- A family whose home in Schuylkill County was wrecked by an early morning fire is pulling together.

Fire wrecked the Robbins family home on West John Street near Frackville around 2:30 a.m. Monday.

Al Robbins said he and his family fled into the sub-freezing air.

"The granddaughter's boyfriend came down and said the house is filled with smoke, so we looked out of bed and we didn't see anything so he goes downstairs into the cellar and he came back and said it was on fire, you better leave."

Shirley Robbins explained it could have been worse.

"Everything is material that we lost. No one got hurt, no firemen got hurt. Thank God for that."

The family said their furnace has been working overtime due to the cold temperatures. They're convinced that's what started the fire.

Dorothy Baker, a relative said the Robbins have more than a fire-damaged home to deal with.

"She found out her sister is down at Pottsville Hospital, she couldn't breathe.  She doesn't live here. She lives in Morea.”
“And her brother recently died?”
“Yeah, he's getting buried tomorrow.”

Baker added because of all the stress and emotions the family is pulling together in various ways.

"He said our house is on fire can I bring Shirley and his granddaughter down and I said ‘yeah, bring them down,’” Baker explained.

Brenda Davenport said she traveled two hours to be at her relatives' side.

"Family has to be the most important thing, that’s to the Lord you know, when one goes down we all go down. That’s how I was raised.”

The Robbins family would like to rebuild.  They said that depends on their homeowners insurance.

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