Father, daughter lose everything in west Colorado Springs fire
Randall Buccino, 51, and his daughter, Laura, 20, have no idea what the future holds for them, as they sit in a motel room with Laura wrapped in a donated blanket.
“I feel like I failed as a father,” Randall Buccino said in an interview with KRDO NewsChannel 13. “I always try to have a game plan, but now I don’t have one.”
The Buccinos are among eight people displaced by Tuesday’s accidental fire near 18th Street and Sheldon Avenue at a west Colorado Springs housing complex.
One resident, a maintenance man for the complex, suffered burned legs while trying to help neighbors escape, according to the complex manager, and is recovering at a Denver hospital.
The manager, Rachel Frey, said only two of the five units were destroyed but extensive roof damage forced city officials to condemn all five units.
“I don’t know if the owner wants to rebuild,” Frey said.
The Red Cross said the remaining residents found other places to stay and did not need housing assistance, so the Buccinos apparently are in the greatest need of help.
Randall Buccino was at work when the fire erupted. His daughter was home and wearing only her underwear when she narrowly escaped with a neighbor’s help.
“I kind of froze a little,” Laura Buccino said. “I didn’t know what to do or where to go. That neighbor saved my life.”
The Buccinos said the Red Cross has provided them with a motel room for three days. The family also has received donated clothing, but otherwise lost everything in the fire.
Randall Buccino said he and his daughter arrived several months ago from Salt Lake City. He’s a construction worker who had plans to open a thrift store to help others in need.
Laura Buccino said she wants to study homeopathic (natural) medicine.
When asked which possession they’ll most miss, Randall Buccino said his guitar and guitar strap, while his daughter mentioned a pair of earrings given to her by her great-grandmother as a high school graduation gift.
However, on Wednesday when the Buccinos returned to the burned debris of their home, Laura Buccino found a reason to smile. She found her earrings. The Buccinos spent much of the day trying to salvage what they could.
If you’d like to help, you can donate to the family’s GoFundMe page under Randall Buccino’s name.
Frey said the displaced residents would welcome donations of fencing and boards to seal broken windows and limit access to the property.
“We’re hoping a construction company or hardware store can help,” she said.
The Red Cross said anyone is free to help individual victims, or donate to the agency’s disaster relief fund.
The fire also should convince people, the Red Cross said, of the need to have an action plan in case of a fire, and be ready to carry it out quickly.
