The community of Otterville and Oxford County generally has stepped up to help a longtime resident after a tragic fire.
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“My mom was born in 1959 and has lived her entire life in Otterville,” Darcy Davis said of his mother Sheila. “She was very attached and very involved in the community with the public school and community sports.”
On the weekend of the town’s Christmas parade, Darcy and his family were in town visiting friends. He was just down the road in Norwich on November 30 when he got the call that the home he grew up alongside sisters Kayla and Breena – the one that had been in the Davis family for 100 years – was ablaze.
“I rushed as fast as I could down Highway 59 and got a call from my wife saying everyone got out of the house OK. They just kind of grabbed clothes, photos off the wall – whatever you can in that situation,” Darcy recalled. “As a police officer, I’ve been to structure fires, but when it happens to you or someone you know, you don’t really know how to handle it.”
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The home was destroyed, including a cherished playroom Sheila had carefully preserved over the years. It was filled with the toys her children had once played with, lovingly maintained and kept in perfect condition for visits with her eight grandchildren.
Currently, Sheila is staying with Darcy and his family in Oakville as the rebuilding process begins, in more ways than one.
“She’s OK – she gets to see my daughters every day, prep them for school and hang out with us, but it’s tough,” Darcy admitted. “It wasn’t a significant house, it was a bungalow, a very small space – we had one bathroom growing up – but there were a lot of memories there.”
In the wake of the fire, a group of friends donated clothing and other items to help Sheila get by. One Otterville neighborhood contributed several gift cards, and a GoFundMe campaign has raised almost $9,000 since being created on Dec. 2.
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“It’s been unbelievable, I know it’s a tough time of year with Christmas, everyone is stressed and the climate with everything being so expensive,” Darcy said. “Mom is not a super tech-savvy person but when we showed her a snapshot of the total, she was overwhelmed with emotion. At this stage you don’t really know how to thank people, you don’t really know what to say. It’s been a very nice response from the community.”
Darcy noted that while the fire has provided a significant challenge, the family is grateful no one was hurt and truly in awe of the response of their neighbors.
“It’s nice to see the community doesn’t forget who you are,” he said.
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