Red Cross responds after Salem home fire

Kris McAleese of the American Red Cross receives information from Bethy Palumbo following a Friday night fire in the Town of Salem (Jason Arndt/The Report).
Kris Mcaleese of the American Red Cross receives information from Bethy Palumbo following a Friday night fire in the Town of Salem (Jason Arndt/The Report).

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

A Friday evening house fire in the Town of Salem has left four people without a home, but could have been worse if not for a neighbor’s quick thinking, according to the home’s tenant Joseph Palumbo.

“Our next door neighbor saw the fire, grabbed our garden hose and got to it right away,” Palumbo said outside the home in the 7800 block of Shorewood Drive Friday night. “A true hero in our community.”

As the neighbor helped, Town of Salem Fire and Rescue and the Wheatland Fire Department responded to the residence at about 7 p.m. to extinguish the fire, which lasted around two hours.

Along with two fire departments, the American Red Cross offered to assist the four residents, consisting of Palumbo, his wife Bethy, 8-year-old son Douglas and friend Charlie Beecher.

“They said they were going to help us,” Palumbo said.

Disaster Action Team Responder Kris McAleese of the American Red Cross offered resources that can assist the family in getting back on its feet.

“Either financial or community resources,” stated Mcaleese, who reportedly received notification from Kenosha City/County Joint Services.

Palumbo, who was at work at the time, said his family is temporarily staying at a friend’s home in Wonder Lake, Illinois until the landlord makes needed repairs.

According to the Town of Salem Fire/Rescue Facebook page, the fire started in the attic and exterior walls, and no injuries have been reported.


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