East Deer family left homeless by fire to move into new place Monday

An East Deer family of six left homeless after a Friday morning fire is expected to move into a new place in the township Monday.

The Red Cross initially assisted Aaron Ciccanti, his fiancee, Andrea Small, and Small’s four children, two boys and two girls, with a temporary place to stay, along with clothing and food after their home at 405 Freeport Road was destroyed.

“I was in the living room, just got done changing my son, when all I hear is this big boom and saw my porch going up in flames,” Small recalled Sunday about an explosion that set off the fire.

The incident started when a wheel fell off a pickup truck passing by around 11:30 a.m. The truck struck several parked cars before jumping the sidewalk and crashing into a natural gas meter and pipeline in front of their home.

Small said they had about a minute to escape the house, which was quickly engulfed. Unable to immediately unlock the back door, Ciccanti broke the door’s window to get the kids out with the help of alert neighbors.

“We had to leave everything behind,” Small said. “Even our cats.” Both died.

The children’s father, Justin Wood, called Ciccanti, their stepdad, a hero for getting them out safely.

“He’s a freakin’ hero,” Wood said Sunday. “If it wasn’t for him, they would have been done and I would have no kids.”

Wood said the children are staying with him and his girlfriend in New Kensington while Ciccanti and Small are staying temporarily at a hotel. He said the children are shaken up, but are uninjured.

Small said they will get keys to a place along Marion Street, about a block or two away from their former home, on Monday.

Meanwhile, friends and neighbors continue fundraising and collection efforts for the family.

“We appreciate everything,” Small said. “Once we get settled in we plan to have a block party and show our appreciation. I want to thank all the community and everybody on Facebook.”

Ciccanti and Small’s landlord, owner of the burned out home, donated $6,000 to help them get a new place.

Monetary donations can be made via a GoFundMe page set up by Heather Ramsey, a relative of the displaced family. It raised just over $1,800 toward its $10,000 goal as of Sunday evening, with 42 donors contributing.

A Facebook fundraising page was also set up by friend of the family Erin Brazin. It had pledges of about $4,240 of its $5,000 goal, with 108 people contributing as of Sunday evening.

Brazin said her children play with Ciccanti and Small’s young ones.

“Those little kids woke up to having everything their heart desired, and then a couple days to nothing but the clothes on their back,” Brazin said. “It’s a shame.”

Brazin is collecting clothes and other items at her home, 630 Walnut St., Springdale, through Jan. 11.

People also can drop off donations at the home of neighbors Ed and Linda Kissel, 406 Marion St. through Tuesday and at the East Deer police/fire station at 927 Freeport Road anytime.

Wood, who is assisting in the fundraising efforts, thanked everyone for helping the family out in their time of need.

“I’m really grateful to even have a community that would want to help like that,” he said. “You hear a lot of bad stuff about people, but there are people out there that are also good.

”It makes me want to do better for my kids and everyone around me.”

Deer Lakes School District officials also plan to do something to help the family.

District spokesman Jim Cromie said Sunday district officials will have a better understanding of what those efforts may be once everyone returns from holiday break on Jan. 6.