Dan and Megan Bogdan, with their children, Ava, Jack and Luke. (Photo courtesy of GoFundMe page by Molly Frank)
By MADDY VITALE
The community has rallied to help a family of five who lost everything in a fire at their Ocean City home early Tuesday morning by setting up a GoFundMe page to raise money and replace some of what was destroyed.
Dan Bogdan escaped with his three children during the early morning blaze. His wife, Megan Bogdan, was at work at the time of the fire.
Now the Bogdans and their children, Ava, 8, Jack, 5, and their 9-month-old son, Luke, are in the process of recovering from the tragedy.
A GoFundMe page was set up by Molly Frank on Tuesday. It shows that the community is with them.
Fire engulfs the Bogdan home on Ferndale Drive early Tuesday morning. (Photo courtesy of Ocean City)
This is what Frank said in her description on the page:
In the early morning of October 18th the Bogdans experienced a tragic house fire. Thankfully, the whole family made it out safely but they lost everything. They have three children. They will need to slowly replace everything and we would like to help in any way possible. We are hoping the community can rally behind them during this difficult time to get them back on their feet.
Within a short time of posting the GoFundMe page, donations exceeded the $10,000 goal.
By Wednesday afternoon, more than $35,000 had been raised by an array of donors and the number kept climbing.
Some individual donors contributed as much as $1,000. The Ocean City Fire Department, which rushed to the Bogdans' house to extinguish the fire, donated $500. Many others made donations, reflecting widespread community support.
Firefighters responded at 6:30 a.m. to battle and contain the blaze Tuesday at the Bogdans' home at 1912 Ferndale Drive. Firefighters also rescued the family dog.
No lives were lost in what looked like an inferno in photos of the home, which was built in 1965 and is located in the Riviera section of town. A firefighter suffered a minor injury, but did not need medical attention, officials said.
The home at 1912 Ferndale Drive suffers extensive damage.
