A family in Skowhegan are homeless after fire took their two-story house and killed their dog. Now, a GoFundMe page is helping them recover.

Danette Dalton was hunting when fire broke out sometime around 11 a.m. Wednesday. She lived in the house with her boyfriend, Michael Smith, and her children who stayed there on weekends. No one was home and no people were injured in the blaze. But the family dog, named Pickles, was killed in the fire. One of the firefighters carried the dog out and covered him with a blanket. Later, Dalton put her blaze orange hunting coat over the pet, as well.

Firefighters told Centralmaine.com that the fire started in the wall behind a wood stove. They said there was no clearance between the chimney and the wooden structure and so the heat had probably been building for years. It was only a matter of time before the wall caught fire.

Dalton didn't have insurance on the home, so will be starting over rebuilding her family's future. The American Red Cross Disaster Services helped the family find shelter for the night and will provide information about resources, so they can get back on their feet. But a GoFundMe page has also been set up to raise money for the family. The opening to the page tugs at the heart strings:

"Today, my mom and siblings lost everything in a house fire, even including a family pet. Her name was Pickles and she will be very dearly missed."

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