TOWN OF YORKSHIRE, N.Y. (WKBW) — Support from across Cattaraugus County is pouring in for 18-year-old James Cook. A fire at his family home killed his mom and two younger sisters. Only James was able to escape.
Life for the Pioneer High School senior will never quite be the same after Friday's devastating house fire in the Town of Yorkshire.
New York State Police announced four members of one family were killed when a fire ripped through their home in the Town of Yorkshire early Friday morning.
The Pioneer Central School District says law enforcement has officially identified three of the four victims. They are 7th grade student Faith Cook, 10th grade student Tonya Cook and their mother, Kristina Kipfer.
"My heart breaks for this child," Office Manager of Previty's Auto Wrecking Jamie Emerling said. "I want him to make sure he knows that he has a community of people around him that will rally in his darkest times."
"He got out with nothing, his phone was the only thing he was able to grab," Gina Wright said.
Gina Wright is a firefighter and EMT who responded to that scene.
After seeing James with nothing, not even clothes to wear, she knew she had to help through her other position as president of the Tri-County Kiwanis Club of WNY.
She started a fundraiser for James, collecting clothes, toiletries, and money to help.
"We want to see that he’s taken care of. Not just today or tomorrow, but he has a whole senior year in school," Wright said.
"We've gotten lots of clothes and almost $10,000 [in financial donations]," Emerling said.
That's where Emerling and countless other businesses stepped in.
"I'm overwhelmed at the amount of people and businesses that have reached out and donated for James," Emerling said.
Donations of money, gift cards, clothing, and scrap metal (all proceeds given to James) can be made at the Galen Hill Rd. location. Venmo donations can be sent to @Jamie-Emerling, her last four phone number digits are 0853.
Additional scrap metal donations, with all proceeds going to James, can be made at Arcade Junction on Main St. in Arcade.
"Previty's will be processing it and adding it to their very large total sum," Owner, Colleen Richardson said.
"The day the whole school learned that our friends had passed was truly hard," Pioneer 7th grader, Audrey Miller said.
Even classmates have stepped in to help.
Miller is a friend and classmate of James’ sisters, Faith and Tonya.
She drew these designs to go on T-shirts in his family's honor, with all the proceeds going to James.
"I wanted to find some way to capture their happiness," Audrey said. "I had never seen [Faith] frown, she is always giggling and laughing. She always finds some way to put a smile on somebody’s face, and I could say the same about Tonya."
