New Brunswick family grieves after fire destroys home months after car crash death

A New Brunswick community is rallying to support a family after a house fire.

Alison Caterini never imagined she’d have her world turned upside down twice in less than 13 weeks.

But after a fire last Sunday destroyed her family home, months after the death of her husband, she and her sons are picking up the pieces.

“I wouldn’t wish this on anybody, it’s too much for one person to deal with and I honestly don’t even know how I’m standing right now,” Caterini said.

She was in Nackawic, N.B., shopping for groceries for her two sons on Sunday when her father called her.

“He said come home, your house is on fire,” she said.

Despite crews fighting it for nearly five hours, their house and everything in it was gone.

She lost two dogs, a cat and a snake in the fire, and all her husband’s belongings, along with his ashes.

Jeffrey Caterini died in a car crash only three months ago.

“After losing my husband, this is what we had left of him,” she said.

But the community is rallying around her. Local resident Karen Rae organized a charity at Dumfries Maples on Friday evening, including a by-donation spaghetti dinner and a live and silent auction.

“I hope that they feel that this is just like a big hug from their community, that they know that we’re there to support them and stand by them,” she said.

Other businesses in the area are collecting donations, while a GoFundMe has raised more than $11,000 for the family.

The family still has one precious belonging.

On Father’s Day, Caterini and her sons planted a tree in her husband’s memory and with it, they buried some of his ashes.

That tree survived the fire.

“That is truly the only piece of him that we still have,” she said.

‘That’s what communities do’

Dumfries’ Fire Chief Marco Boonstoppel said the cause of the fire is unknown.

He lives directly across from the family and knew the impact Jeffrey’s death had on the family.

“It’s heartbreaking. You don’t want to see that happen to anybody. But definitely what she’s gone through, this is kind of over the top,” he said.

At the same time, the outpouring of support comes as no surprise to him.

“I think that’s what communities do, they rally together,” he said.

Caterini said her immediate focus is finding a place to live with her two sons. When she can, she plans to rebuild her house in the same place.

“This is home, this is where I want to be. And even though all of Jeff’s stuff is gone, his memory is still alive here,” she said.

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