Fire destroys home, business of Salem family of 8; Kills pet cats, birds, turtle

SALEM Ore. (KPTV) - A Salem family of eight is living in a hotel after a fire devastated their home on Wednesday night.

The Bobko family said the fire at their home on Hollyridge Loop started at around 11:30 p.m.

“My son heard some popping noises while they were in bed,” said mother Irina Bobko. “He just started yelling ‘Everybody fire!’, so we started running out, so as soon as we ran out the door, the smoke started coming out right behind us.”

Ring camera video shows the terror as members of the Bobko family poured out of the home they’ve lived in for four years.

The family, with kids aged 10 through 17, revisited the scene on Sunday, where melted windows, charred wood, and burned vehicles still remain.

They said it took only about fifteen minutes for the fire to spread throughout the house.

“Every time you close your eyes you see flames,” said father Robert Bobko.

Their beloved pet cats, birds, and a turtle were lost to the flames.

“My boys are devastated about it, because that was their pets,” Irina said.

The biggest loss was their livelihood, as Robert makes a living reselling cosmetic items and video games, as well as doing contracted work. All of his goods and tools were destroyed.

“Whatever I do I’m going to have to start over from scratch,” he said.

Now, the family is living in a hotel with the insurance money, and their future is uncertain.

Irina’s sister set up a GoFundMe to help the family pave the way for a new future.

“It’s just kind of starting to hit me, you know,” Irina said. “The first few days I understood what happened, but not fully.”

“We’re all safe and I think that’s the most important thing,” Robert said. “No matter what, we can start over from anything.”

The Salem Fire Department said they are still investigating what caused the fire.

Follow this link to visit the family’s GoFundMe page

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