WINTHROP, MASS. (WHDH) - A new mother and father whose Winthrop home burned down in a massive fire Sunday spoke to 7NEWS Wednesday with an update on life with a new daughter, and how they are picking up the pieces after the tragedy.
Sean and Chiara Keenan welcomed their daughter Giannina Grace Keenan just hours after their home went up in flames.
Winthrop Fire responded to calls reporting a fire at a home on River Road at approximately 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Crews said it quickly spread from one home to another, forcing four families to evacuate.
“I kind of smelled like someone was having a bonfire nearby or something, so I went out back took, a little turn around to the front of the street, and just saw half of the house engulfed in flames,” Sean said.
Fire officials said two people, including Chiara, were taken to the hospital. Giannina was born at Winchester Hospital Monday morning, and Sean said both she and Chiara are doing well.
“Riding the highs and lows of this emotional roller coaster that we’ve had. Scary things happening, exciting things happening, I can’t say or stress enough that my baby couldn’t have come at a better time to help us navigate through this new tragedy in our life, this new loss. We’re so blessed she’s healthy and beautiful,” Sean said. “When I hold her in our hospital room, nothing else in the world can bother me. That’s all that matters right now, looking into her big, beautiful, blue eyes.”
Sean said the baby’s nursery was all set up inside their apartment, ready to welcome Giannina home before the fire.
“Just want to be able to make sure that we can provide for our daughter, and give her the best thing that she can have, which was previously our apartment there with the nursery, but now things have changed,” he said. “So just kind of working through what we have, don’t have, and what we need. It’s a tough challenge, but we are going to work through it and I think we are going to be okay.”
After losing all of their belongings, Sean said hundreds of people have donated to help his family rebuild.
“We appreciate, sincerely, all the support and kind, kind generosity from strangers, friends, family, colleagues, former colleagues – all these people are banding together to help us through this time. We are so blessed,” he said.
Investigators believe the fire started under the front porch of one of the homes, and from there is spread to the other. Both buildings were deemed a total loss.
A GoFundMe to support the Keenan family can be found here.
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