KNOX — After a fire destroyed a home at 10 Villeneuve Drive in Knox, local businesses, the department that fought the fire, and the employer of the father of the displaced family are all helping to raise funds and collect goods.

Knox Volunteer Fire Company Chief Bill Vinson said that fire companies were called around noon on Dec. 14 to the scene off of Bozenkill Road, just above the village of Altamont.

“They lost everything … ,” Vinson said, of the residents. “Being Christmas around the corner … .”

Six people were displaced by the fire — two adults and four children, aged 8 to 11.

Rhonda Flansburg, co-owner of Re-Nue Spa in Altamont, met with Vinson the day after the fire and arranged to take towels, food, bedding, kitchen items, toys, and monetary donations to the affected people. Flansburg said donations may be left at her business at 119 Maple Avenue at the front door or inside when the spa is open.

A Facebook page — Bunt Family Benefit — dedicated to raising money for the family has also been set up, and states that the family needs money, furniture, household items, clothing, toiletries, blankets, linens, toys, books, and gifts.

The family of six includes, Callie Blyth, Jeffrey Bunt, and their four children. They have three daughters, ages 4, 6, and 8, and a 1-year-old son.

Bunt’s employer, Scott Warland, has known him years. Bunt has been working at his company, 4M Concrete Inc., for 25 years, said Laura Vitkavage, who is moderating the Facebook page and other efforts to donate to the family. She said that Warland, a friend of hers, reached out to her due to her efforts in fundraising for her American Heritage Girls troop.

She started working on a Facebook page the day after the fire, she said, and also on Monday created an account for donations — The Bunt Family fire fund — at the First National Bank of Scotia.

“They lost everything … ,” she said. “So they really are starting from scratch.”

Vitkavage said that Warland’s goal is to gather enough money for a rental deposit. The family is looking for a rental home in the Berne-Knox-Westerlo school district, so that their children can continue going to school there.

“That’s the biggest need right now,” she said.

Other efforts to help the family include clothing donations that are being collected this evening at the East Berne firehouse.

“I’m impressed with the community,” said Vitkavage, of the Hilltowns.

The community outreach was so great, that by Monday night, Vitkavage reported on the Facebook page that they had already collected clothing, toys, a Diaper Genie, an umbrella, a stroller, and coats for both Bunt and Blyth.

Fighting the fire

Investigators from the state’s Office of Fire Prevention and Control confirmed on Friday that the fire started from an electrical problem in the walls of the kitchen, said Kristin Devoe, the public information officer for the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, which oversees that office.

The Knox Volunteer Fire Company has automatic mutual aid with the Altamont Fire Department in a section of the Knox fire district that borders Altamont, said Vinson. Both companies received a call to the scene of the accident at 11:58 a.m.; Altamont arrived at 12:11 p.m., and Knox arrived at 12:13 p.m.

The two-story wooden house was already ablaze.

“We got here, and it was just completely involved,” said Vinson, speaking from the scene on Thursday.

Vinson said Altamont volunteers dropped a line to their trucks at the corner of Villeneuve Drive and Bozenkill Road so that other responding fire companies could feed Altamont’s hose more water to fight the fire.

The East Berne Volunteer Fire Company and Berne Volunteer Fire Company were on scene to provide water; the North Bethlehem Fire Department provided rehabilitation after the fire was out; and the Guilderland Center Fire Department and Guilderland Fire Department arrived to provide manpower.

Vinson said there was a struggle to provide enough volunteers to fight the fire, as the fire occurred in the middle of a weekday when many would be away at work. He said enough volunteers were gathered from the many fire departments that arrived the scene.

“The wind that was a big factor,” said Vinson, noting the gusts during the day helped to feed the fire.

The fire was knocked down in half an hour, said Vinson, and it was completely out by 2:20 p.m. New York State Homeland Security Emergency Services Fire Protection and Control sent investigators to uncover the source of the fire; these state investigators were remaining at the scene as of Thursday night.

Vinson said the owner — the residents’ landlord — had insurance on the home.

He said no residents were harmed in the fire; one casualty occurred when a firefighter slipped on the ice and twisted his ankle.

Vinson said that he does not believe the structure can be rebuilt. Though he lamented that the residents would be out of a home for the holiday season, he added, “Any time of the year’s not a good time to lose a home.”

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Donations for the affected family can be sent to Bunt Family Christmas, care of Dan and Laura Vitkavage, 18 Longcreek Drive, Burnt Hills, New York 12027. Items can also be brought to the Vitkavage home. Laura Vitkavage can be reached at Laura.dan.v@gmail.com or (518) 545-6343 for more information.

More details on what the family needs can be found on the page “Bunt Family Benefit.”

Updated on Dec. 15, 2017: Information from the Red Cross, from Office of Fire Prevention and Control, and from Rhonda Flansburg was added.

Updated on Dec. 18, 2017: Information on the Bunt Family Benefit was added.