A Carson City family who lost their home to a fire Monday is getting some help from the Carson City Sheriff's Department in the form of a clothing and a food drive.
Sheriff Kenny Furlong said his department is reaching out to sisters Natalia Monroy, 50, and Guadalupe Monroy, 29, and three children, 10-year-old Eliciel Gonzales, Alejandro Gonzales, 6, and 1-month-old Cristina Garcia. The sisters and children are currently staying with their brother in Carson City.
"We want to see what we can do to help them," Furlong said Thursday. "I stood with them as their home burned. When the fire department and sheriff's department arrived, there was nothing else to do but protect other homes."
Furlong said he has expanded the interdepartmental drive to include donations from the public.
The fire, which began about 8:45 a.m., engulfed the single-wide mobile home on Tiger Drive.
Investigators determined the fire was started by a child playing with matches, said Battalion Chief Richard Chrzanowski, of the Carson City Fire Department.
"The juvenile flat told (the investigator) he had started it," Chrzanowski said.
He said he didn't feel that fact should stop anyone from donating to the family.
"A child of this age range doesn't have the capability of reasoning and understanding consequences," he said. "They lost everything. It's a sad, sad deal."
Furlong said anyone wishing to donate clothing and food can do so by dropping the items off to the front counter of the Sheriff's Department at 901 E. Musser St.
He said they hadn't made arrangements to collect cash donations, but if people felt inclined to donate money, it would be given to the family.
"We'd like to do what we can to help. We see the need and want to fill it," he said. "They don't speak English so their ability to reach out for help in the community is limited already. We are reaching out to them."