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By Ryan Fiore | Correspondent
After 45 years of residing in their Medford home, the Nicolosi family is now searching for somewhere to live after a devastating fire left their house uninhabitable.
On Aug. 19, the Nicolosi family’s home at 76 Sydney St. caught fire. Everyone who was inside the house when the fire began was able to get out safely, thanks in part to a neighbor who alerted the family to the flames.
“I was woken up in the middle of the night by my neighbor,” said Donny Nicolosi. “He knocked on my door and said, ‘Your house is on fire.’”
Nicolosi said he was grateful for his neighbor alerting the family when he did.
“I’m thankful for [my neighbor]. If he hadn’t knocked on my door and let us know then and there, the damage probably would have been a lot worse, but everyone managed to get out safely,” he said. “We got everyone out and called the fire department immediately— of course there was water damage from the hoses they used, but that’s just part of the process. Now we’re just dealing with trying to find somewhere sustainable to stay.”
The property has since been declared uninhabitable and had its electricity shut off. The Nicolosi family has now been told repairs may take at least four months.
The family was provided with a hotel room through the American Red Cross, but Tuesday, Aug. 26, will be the family’s final day receiving that assistance. Red Cross also provided the family with vouchers, though they have since used up those funds.
The Red Cross has been the only organization to provide the Nicolosi family with direct assistance, despite their weeklong efforts in seeking out support from other organizations specializing in disaster relief.
“The only assistance we’ve been able to get has been from the Red Cross, who gave us some vouchers, but those are long gone now,” Nicolosi said. “We’ve reached out to plenty of organizations — Salvation Army and places like that — but they have only been offering referrals to shelters and other organizations. We’re getting desperate at this point.”
The Nicolosi family has also been trying to get in contact with insurance agencies that could help them out, though these efforts have also been frustrating.
Although Donny said he may be able to find temporary accommodations through his workplace, the biggest challenge appears to be finding a place for his elderly father to stay.
“I might be able to stay at my work, but we don’t have a place to put my elderly father,” said Nicolosi. “We’re looking for somewhere to put him, but it’s looking like it will be $3,000, maybe $4,000 for him to stay somewhere for a month or so. It’s totally unaffordable.”
A look at the damage done to the Nicolosi house at 76 Sydney St. GOTTA KNOW MEDFORD STAFF PHOTOS/Ryan Fiore
The Nicolosi family is still waiting on answers about what caused the fire.
“I haven’t heard anything about the cause yet,” Donny Nicolosi said. “I know the police and fire department were doing an investigation, but I haven’t heard anything.”
With the family’s hotel stay ending Aug. 25, Nicolosi said the family’s immediate priority is to find sustainable housing for his father. From there, the family will determine what comes next.
A GoFundMe has been established to help the Nicolosi family cover expenses following the fire. These include temporary housing, daily necessities, and cleanup/recovery expenses that the family may have to pay in the wake of the fire.
The fundraiser was set up by Andrea Muldoon, the niece of Nicolosi’s longtime partner.
