An online effort has been started to help a family whose house caught fire Jan. 28 in Masury. According to the mealtrain.com posting, Randall and Melissa Rakich “lost almost everything.”

To donate at mealtrain.com, search for “Broxson/Rakich family.”

The American Red Cross was brought in to assist the family, which did not have a place to stay, said Brookfield Fire Chief David Masirovits. The house is unlivable and uninsured, Masirovits said.

The fire started after Rakich had been thawing frozen pipes around a dishwasher, Masirovits said.

Rakich, who was alone when the fire started, was taken to a hospital for a breathing issue, the chief said.

Masirovits said he did not know what was being used to thaw the pipes, but he warned against using something like a torch. There are newer methods, such as heat tape, that are safe, he said.

The house at 731 Brookfield Avenue was built in 1910, according to the Trumbull County auditor, and was constructed without firebreaks, a since-banned method of construction, the chief said. The voids in the house allowed the fire to spread quickly to the second floor and the attic, he said.

Because of the extreme cold and ice, Masirovits called in extra manpower. He said firefighters from Sharon, Hubbard, Vienna, Liberty and Howland responded. No injuries were sustained by any firefighters.

One of the first orders of business for the fire crews was digging out the nearby fire hydrant. “We struggled to establish a water supply because it took an extra five to 10 minutes to shovel it out to the point we could utilize it,” Masirovits said. The chief encouraged residents to pull snow at least three feet away from a hydrant.

Water on the fire trucks was used until the hydrant was available, he said.

McGonigle Ambulance Service assisted in treating Rakich.

The state fire marshal’s office investigated the cause of the fire.