A local family is picking through the ashes after a devastating house fire destroyed their home, soap business, and nearly all their belongings on the morning of July 25. Though the Wingard family live just over the town line in Kerhonkson, members of the Olive community have come together in force—offering food, clothing, shelter, and support in the week since the fire.
David Wingard, 38, and Desirae Wingard, 35, were doing early morning chores with two of their four children when a friend, arriving to help with errands, called to say their house was on fire.
“As I’m pulling up the driveway, I could smell the smoke,” David said. “The corner of the house was fully engulfed in flames.”
Their dog, Lady, 3, was still trapped inside. David said firefighters were initially hesitant to enter the structure due to the risk of worsening the blaze. About an hour later, he convinced a firefighter to help him break down a basement door.
“She was there, frantic, and jumped into my arms,” he said. “That was a real sight of relief for the entire family.”
The couple and their four children — Tavin, 14; Aiden, 13; Ava, 7; and Johnny, 5 — watched helplessly as the home burned. The structure was a total loss. The Wingards owned the home outright and, because they did not have a mortgage, were not required to carry homeowners insurance. Without coverage, the family is now living in a small camper on their five-acre property and relying on community support to rebuild.
Desirae’s soap business, which she ran from inside the house, was also lost.
The Wingard family operate a small farm on the property and lease an additional 20 acres in Accord. For now, the farm remains operational, and donations have helped sustain the family.
“We left the house Friday morning like a normal day, with the clothes on our backs and the shoes on our feet,” David said. “By Saturday afternoon, we had more clothes than we would know what to do with.”
Support has poured in from Olive residents and businesses. Primo Stropoli, owner of Tetta’s Market in the Olivebridge hamlet of Samsonville, said his store has become a main donation hub.
“We’ve given them whatever they’ve needed from the store—groceries, etc.,” Stropoli said. “They’ve even used our facilities—bathroom, WiFi, and more.”
“In a situation like this with a family like the Wingards, where Dave has a local excavation business and Desi has the local chicken egg and goat soap business, as individuals and as a family they are quite literally threads that weave this community together,” he said.
“The only thing we can do—or should do—is to look inward at the things we can actually have an effect on. When your neighbor’s house burns down and they literally lose everything, nothing else really matters.”
The Accord, Olive, and Stone Ridge fire departments responded to the scene, along with other mutual aid companies. David said he remains grateful for their efforts.
“We just want to send our thanks and appreciation,” he said. “Whether it’s been a donation, a phone call, or a hot meal—we’re extremely grateful for the community we live in and how they come together when something like this happens.”
A GoFundMe page has been launched to support the family’s rebuilding efforts.
Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.
