NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — A North Tonawanda mother is working to rebuild her family’s life after a devastating fire destroyed the home she grew up in, the same home where she is now raising her three children.
The fire broke out overnight between November 20 and 21, destroying the home within minutes. Belynda Zornick, a mother of three, said the flames moved so quickly that nearly everything inside was lost, including two beloved family pets.
“It wasn’t just something that I had. It was memories, all the pictures, everything,” she said. “It was where my kids grew up.”
In the weeks since the loss, Zornick says the support from neighbors, friends, and the wider community has been overwhelming. Contractors have stepped forward offering labor, and donations are helping cover immediate needs. But the greatest challenge ahead is replacing the building materials needed to rebuild a home from the ground up.
WATCH: North Tonawanda family working to rebuild after fire destroyed their home
“It needs a lot of work…A lot of materials,” she said. “But I’m willing to put the work and the time in.”
Zornick hopes to have the home rebuilt within a year to a year and a half, giving her family a place to come back together under one roof. For now, she’s still grappling with the emotional toll of losing not just a house, but decades of memories connected to her late parents
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
A GoFundMe has been created to help the family recover.
