Family grateful for community’s response after fire destroys home
A fundraiser will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the River House Cafe.
A Monessen family has love in their hearts and a lot to be grateful for, in spite of the fire that destroyed their home and most of their belongings last month.
Crews from several departments were called to a home on Jones Street for a porch fire at 2:55 a.m. March 20.
Firefighters arrived within about two minutes, but the blaze had started to spread inside the house.
Lorawn Dupree lived there with her fiancé, Ray, daughter, Loraya and father, Anthony, who all got out safely. Following their immeasurable loss, the Mon Valley community rallied around them to offer love and support.
“When the unimaginable happens, you realize no words can truly express gratitude,” Dupree said. “The fire department not only battled the flames, they showed so much care. Alongside them, our neighbors and family members sprang into action, getting out of bed to support us. In what felt like an instant, we had everything we didn’t even realize we needed — water, blankets, socks and sweaters. In that moment of chaos, generosity is an enormous comfort, and for that we are forever grateful.”
Dupree was asleep in bed with her fiancé when she abruptly woke up to the sound of popping.
“Half-asleep, I wondered if it was fireworks or if someone had been shot,” she said. “Then I heard it again, repeatedly. I thought, “That doesn’t sound right.”
More pops followed, and suddenly, a gut feeling, almost like an audible command, hit me: “Get up!” I reluctantly moved to the window, and when I opened my eyes, I saw an orange glow and instinct took over.”
Dupree woke up her fiancé, who turned and saw fire outside their window, so she quickly ran to her daughter’s bedroom.
“She had been sneaking in some late-night TV as she sometimes does and pretended to be asleep, thinking she had been caught,” she said. “I anxiously yelled, ‘Fire!’ while clapping my hands. At the same time, I could hear Ray calmly say, ‘Baby girl, get up. There’s a fire, but we are okay. Follow Mommy out the door.’” Dupree banged on her father’s door to wake him up and they all rushed outside, along with their cat and dog, who also made it out safely.
“We sat on the lawn across the street, watching what felt like an endless wait for the fire department,” she said. “We watched our home burn as firefighters battled the blaze for hours.
“That night, as the fire raged, our family showed up like angels. Among the glow of the flames and the flashing emergency lights, the matriarchs — my mother and the women of our family — arrived with socks, blankets and jackets. They sat with us and watched. This was the home where we had celebrated every major holiday for years. It wasn’t just our memories burning — it was theirs, too.”
As the smoke cleared early that morning, they went to their family’s home in Charleroi.
“It was our family home where my grandmother had raised these strong women,” she said. “Throughout the day, family kept arriving, and by evening, every member of our immediate family was in that room with us. The Red Cross came by, offering immediate assistance. And that was just the beginning of this journey.”
Despite unimaginable tragedy, Dupree’s family is doing better than could be expected.
“It’s almost unbelievable to say this, but given the circumstances, we are doing remarkably well,” she said. “This community has surrounded us with so much love that there is no room left for anything but gratitude. To have lost everything and yet be in a place where we lack nothing is simply incredible — truly a blessing.”
Seeing how the community and their family have showed up in ways to support them without being asked has restored their faith that there are good, loving people in the world — and they live right here.
“We’ve only been part of this community for two years — 730 days, give or take,” she said. “We relocated from the West Coast, from California. These people haven’t known us long, yet the love has been there from day one. People often say, ‘I love you’ but it’s rare to witness that love in action. This Valley holds the history of being the Magic City. Some may feel that magic is gone because times have changed, and that kind of thinking can create division, but I truly believe the magic hasn’t left.
“Seeing the way this community has united around us proves that the spirit of this place is still strong. There is power in unity, and what we’ve witnessed is nothing short of amazing.”
The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined, and Dupree said her family is open to whatever the future holds.
“We are still in the early phases of this long process. Right now, we are gathering quotes and estimates to carve out a path forward,” she said. “With a lot of prayer and patience, we are staying open to whatever comes next.
“We’ve searched through the ashes, hoping to recover meaningful items. Woolite has worked surprisingly well in removing the smoke smell, so we’ve tried it on things like my daughter’s beloved teddy bear. We were so lucky to find some essentials—our wallets and IDs were scorched but still intact, and my engagement ring. Ray made sure to find that. Perhaps the most powerful discovery was my study Bible. The entire bookcase it sat on was destroyed, yet the Bible remained. The Word endured.”
A fundraiser organized by the Charleroi PTA in partnership with the River House Cafe will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. today.
“The community has already clothed us for all seasons, providing more than we could have ever expected,” she said. “Honestly, we can’t say enough about the generosity we’ve received. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating — to have lost everything and, in this moment, want for nothing is such a blessing. That night, we could have lost more than just our belongings. Instead, we have seen our daily needs met in ways we never imagined.”
A GoFundMe was created for Dupree and the family. As of press time, it has raised over $10,000.
“We are so blessed to be a part of a community to which we didn’t even ask for help,” she said. “We looked up from the devastation and they were there taking action, surroundings us in love and being a soft place to land. That stuff doesn’t happen in real life.”
