After devastating fire, Norvelt community helps 6-year-old celebrate Christmas

The excitement of Christmas came once again to Isaiah Olson, 6, after a devastating house fire last week in Norvelt.

Fire department volunteer Mary Hontz said presents that had been donated by the community were taken to the boy Sunday afternoon by fire trucks and Santa Claus. The department solicited donations to help the family after their belongings were destroyed in a fast-moving blaze Wednesday.

“Our firemen are phenomenal, and when this all happened, as upset as they were about it, they rallied together and supported the family,” Hontz said.

Alisa J. Richwine, 62, was killed in the blaze. She was Isaiah’s great-aunt, and a couple other family members lived there, Hontz said.

In the immediate aftermath, firefighters solicited donations through the department’s Facebook page, adding Isaiah likely had lost all of his Christmas presents. What came next overwhelmed firefighters and the family as clothing, housewares, gift cards and cash poured in, Hontz said.

The donations were voluminous, and volunteers spent two full days collecting them, Fire Chief Matt Zelenak said.

“We’re just a little town … and everybody knows everybody,” he said. “It was businesses; it was individual people from out of state; it was other fire departments.”

On Sunday, a parade of fire trucks delivered the presents to Isaiah, who is staying with family in Kecksburg. He heard the fire whistle and was delighted to see the trucks were stopped at his house. He and his mother stood on the front porch and opened presents with Santa’s help while volunteers and family members watched and took photos.

Zelenak said the department still is getting donations, which are being directed to the family.

The blaze is believed to be an accident, possibly caused by an electrical issue, according to Zelenak and state police.

Visitation for Richwine is from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in Jay A. Hoffer Funeral Home. A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Norvelt Fire Hall.