A fire broke out this past Thursday night at the home of Keene Volunteer Fire Department First Assistant Chief Lance LeClair and his family, leaving the house uninhabitable.

The family wasn’t hurt in the fire. The fire department’s Second Assistant Chief Edward Whitney said the fire started in the chimney and spread to the second floor, burning that entire floor. He said his department received mutual aid from the Keene Valley Volunteer Fire Department and the Jay Volunteer Fire Department to fight the fire, and that around 20 members helped tame the blaze — including LeClair.

Whitney said he didn’t know what started the fire, but the departments had it under control in about 20 minutes. Following the fight, the departments completed overhaul — the process of searching for hidden or smoldering fires that could rekindle a larger fire — in about three or four hours. Despite the firefighters’ speed in extinguishing the fire, the LeClairs lost their home due to fire, smoke and water damage.

Whitney’s wife, Keene Town Councilor and Keene Fire Department Auxiliary Chair Jennifer Whitney, said the LeClairs are “in complete shock” after the fire. LeClair and his wife, Ashley, have two kids that are 3 years old and 2 months. The Keene community is pulling together to support the LeClairs in their loss.

Jennifer helped organize a GoFundMe on behalf of Keene’s auxiliary fire department to help the LeClairs get back on their feet. The fundraiser raised more than $20,000 in four hours on Friday and exceeded its $30,000 goal by the end of that day. As of Sunday evening, donations had surpassed $52,000.

“Keene is a great community,” Jennifer said.

The GoFundMe is still active, and people can donate at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-leclair-family-after-a-fire?utm_campaign=p_lico share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer. There’s also a Meal Train website set up for the LeClairs at https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/lq4k44, where people can purchase meals for the family.