BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — It was supposed to be a fresh start for two Buffalo families. Instead, hours later, a fire destroyed the new apartments and everything inside.
"Got the U-Haul at 9 am," said Ashley Biviano, a single mother of two. "I unloaded everything by one. Two and a half hours later, gone."
She saw another family, the Garcia-Colons, moving in downstairs. They're a family of six with a puppy.
"In just minutes, our fresh start was gone," the Garcia-Colons wrote in a statement.
Biviano turned the heat on after unloading; that's when she started smelling something off. She thought it was because no one had lived there in a while and tried to open the windows to get rid of the smoke.
"Didn't happen. Filled with smoke. My mom texted me, all caps, ' Come out now,'" said Biviano. Ashley "I was told by the fire marshal that the room directly underneath me was fully engulfed."
The Garcia-Colons weren't home when they got back. They saw their new home, and all of their belongings had been destroyed, as pictured below.
"We lost everything, but we didn’t lose each other. Right now, we’re just trying to stay strong for our kids and take things one step at a time," the Garcia-Colons wrote in a statement.
It's not the first time tragedy has struck Biviano's family. Her son's father died in a house fire in 2024.
"They were watching that door, wondering if I was going to come out because they know their father didn't," said Biviano. "I got in my car and lost it, I was like, that's pictures of their father when he was a kid, can't get those back."
WATCH: Two Buffalo families lose everything after apartment fire, hours after moving in
There are GoFundMe pages set up for both families, for Biviano and her boys here and for the Garcia-Colons here.
You can also donate new (not used) items to the WNY Compassion Connection, 3966 Walden Ave, Lancaster, NY 14086, on behalf of Ashley and family.
- Justice, age 7: Size 6 or 7 slim in pants (athletic type for normal days, khaki joggers for school uniform). Shirts, 7/8 or navy blue polo for uniform in boys large. 13 or 1 shoe.
- Rockwell, age 6: Size 5 pants, size 6 shirts. 10 or 11 shoes.
- Ashley, 37: Pants 26in (or 2-4 depending on brand (I usually get them at Buckle, hence the inch measurement). Shirts vary...medium is safe, hoodies large.
"There were moms that reached out, and they were like I have clothes your size, I have clothes the boys' size and I was just like, this really is the city of good neighbors," said Biviano.
The building damage is estimated at $100,000 and $50,000 for the contents, according to city officials.
