Air Force family fights fire with generosity

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Amy Hansen
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFPN) --  A first-term Airman from the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, her husband, and their two small children were left homeless when an unexplained fire destroyed everything in their base housing unit recently.

Out of the ashes of this tragedy, however, rose an unexpected phoenix. The Vazquez's Air Force family rushed to their assistance.

"We were out shopping," said Airman 1st Class Cynthia Vazquez, an information manager. "When we came home, there were firetrucks in front of our house."

Inside the house, everything was black, she said. The walls were practically falling down, and there was a terrible smoke smell.

Elmendorf firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, but the entire first and second floor sustained heavy heat and smoke damage, said Master Sgt. Devin Beckes, an assistant fire chief with the 3rd Civil Engineer Squadron.

Airman Vazquez had been out of basic training only 10 months before the fire.

"When we first came here, it took us so long to get the little bit we had. Then it was all gone," she said.

Before they left the fire site, Senior Master Sgt. Michael Rennie, 3rd AMXS first sergeant, handed Airman Vazquez the keys to a billeting room that had already been reserved for them.

"Then we went to the airman's attic and the base exchange,” Airman Vazquez said. “They let us get whatever we needed right away, like underwear and socks.”

"The BX donated $230 for clothes and (a local restaurant) donated a huge meal," said Tech. Sgt. Paul Thiel of the 3rd AMXS.

After that, Airman Vazquez, her husband, Victor, and their two children, Kathilia, 2, and Dominic, then 3 months, went to the commissary to shop for food, courtesy of a $300 grant from Air Force Aid Society coordinated by the family support center.

After their initial needs were met, Sergeant Rennie turned his focus to the family's lost belongings. He asked Sergeant Thiel to contact Elmendorf's First Sergeant's Association and to put out a request for donations.

"I put an e-mail out … and made arrangements with the community center to store all donated goods until the Vazquez family could move into their new home," Sergeant Thiel said.

"Donations starting arriving at the community center right away," Airman Vazquez said. "Furniture, kitchenware, clothes and even five (televisions) were donated."

Some of the things looked new, including a mahogany sleigh bed and a handmade dresser, she said.

"All the clothes donated to me were from expensive brands -- it was a lot of nice stuff," Airman Vazquez said.

The donation drive lasted about a week, and about $3,000 was raised for the family besides the household good donations. Other donated items included six pickup truck loads of clothes, toys and other goods.

The Vazquez family had enough items donated to them to replace almost everything they had lost in the fire, Sergeant Thiel said.

The overwhelming support was greatly appreciated, Airman Vazquez said.

"It was refreshing to see the level of generosity that our Air Force family poured out on the Vazquez's," Sergeant Thiel said. "… it was amazing to see the wonderful things that were freely given to the Vazquez family."