Donations Raised For Northboro Firefighter And Family Who Lost Home In Weekend Blaze

NORTHBORO (CBS) -- Firefighters in Northboro are taking donations for the family of one of their own who lost their home in a fire over the weekend.

Early Sunday morning, they responded to a blaze that destroyed a farmhouse built in the 1800s. It belonged to the family of Northboro Firefighter Todd Yellick.

Firefighter Yellick was awakened by smoke detectors around 3 a.m. Sunday, and immediately grabbed a garden hose to fight the fire and help his wife and two adult children get out safely.

"When your family is what's the most important thing, you would do anything you can," Northboro Fire Chief David Parenti told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones. "These guys don't even think about it, they know that life is precious ... if you want to get your family out, you're gonna do what you can."

The back section of the two-family home--where residents with children had just moved out--was consumed by flames.

Yellick was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

The family lost a cat, and most of their possessions--but not their side-lot farmstand, which reopened Monday.

Firefighters from Westboro, Shrewsbury, Southboro, Berlin, Boylston, Hudson, and Marlboro helped fight the fire, which was put out in about 90 minutes. One firefighter was treated for an ankle injury at the scene of the blaze.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

A post on the Northborough Firefighters Facebook page Sunday said it appeared the Yellick family had "lost everything."

"Todd Yellick has been a member of the department for over 20+ years and his family is well known in town," the post read. "Please forward this post and keep Todd and his family in your prayers."

Parenti says the firefighters' union is taking donations to help them because just about everything is lost.

"One of the homeowners is a collector, so she had all kinds of stuff in there that, much of it is lost already," Parenti said. "Most of their clothing is gone ... we're looking for anything right now to help them out."

"It is hard to see any of our residents displaced by fire but it is truly devastating when it is one of our own," read another post on the Northborough Firefighters page.

Northborough Professional Firefighters President Patrick J. McManus is asking for donations to the Yellick family can be sent here:

Northborough Professional Firefighters
Local 3057 Relief Fund
P.O. Box 103
Northborough, MA 01532

Perenti has asked that people donate directly, rather than through GoFundMe, because that site charges a fee.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports

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• Fire