KINGWOOD, W.Va. (WBOY) — A Marine veteran, Kenneth Helmick, and his wife, Iva Davis, lost their home and belongings to a house fire Preston County on Saturday.
Davis told 12 News that the fireplace inside of their home became too hot and eventually spread up into the ceiling joists, which hold the weight of the roof.
Since the fire, Helmick and Davis have been staying at the Heldreth Motel until Feb. 27, but after that, they will move to a local homeless shelter. After that, they will have to sleep in their vehicle if they cannot find another place to stay. One of their grandchildren is currently housing the family’s dog because the motel would not let them keep it there.
Surrounding neighbors and family members helped cover the roof with tarps to keep out water, but unfortunately with the high winds on Tuesday, the tarps flew off.
This home was more than just a place to live; Helmick said that this house was his and Davis’ first home together, where their kids and grandchildren were raised. He said, “When my granddaughter walked into the living room and seen the big hole that was burnt in our roof, she automatically started crying, and I can’t—I ain’t able to help build it no more. My body won’t take it. I want to grab a hammer and I want to grab a piece of drywall or something, but I can’t no more.”
Helmick beat testicular cancer around three years ago. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he began to have bad heart problems and now has a defibrillator and pacemaker, and not having WiFi makes it difficult to send his results to his doctors.
You may be asking what you can do to help, so here are a few ways you can help this family in need. The family is asking for building material donations and they can be reached at (304) 680-7982.
If anyone has a used trailer or camper that they could do as a tax write-off, Davis said it would be greatly appreciated. Clothing-wise, Davis and her granddaughter wear a size large in tops and 11 in pants, and Helmick wears a size extra large in tops and 32 length and 38 wide pants. The family’s GoFundMe link can be found here.
The family said even just being able to lend a hand in helping to rebuild the home, would be helpful. They will take any help that they can get at this point. If you can help with any of these things, please reach out to Kenneth Helmick and Iva Davis at (304) 680-7982, or their granddaughter Makensy Sigley at (681) 209-8979.
