The two county families who lost their homes to fire last week are working to get their lives back in order – with plenty of help from community members.

Joy Geiger was home Friday afternoon with her 3 1/2-month-old daughter Ava Mae when fire broke out. Her Kasson Township home is located near the intersection of Pierce and Kasson Center Road.
SMOKE AND charred framing was seen through the trees during a house fire Friday at the home of Brian and Joy Geiger in Kasson Township.
“She noticed the smoke and got out to the car and then down to the neighbors,” said her husband, Brian Geiger.

He was working in Traverse City at the time the fire started while his older children, Breanna and Travis, were at Glen Lake School. Breanna is in fourth grade, and Travis is an eighth-grader.

Meanwhile, Tony Glaza and his daughter, a seventh grader at Elizabeth Ann Seton School in Traverse City, were at home when fire broke out in their Solon Township house Feb. 17. The father and daughter escaped the fire, but the house was a complete loss.

“The community has been great … very gracious, extending a helping hand,” Glaza said. “They’ve opened up, asking if there’s any way they can be of assistance.”

Glaza, his daughter and wife, Kathleen, have received help from the American Red Cross as well as the Munson Healthcare community in which Kathleen is employed. They have also been embraced by the Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools, St. Francis Catholic Church and the offices of Dr. William Northway in Traverse City. Family members were also given “comfort kits” from the Red Cross assembled by students at Benzie Central.

“The day after the fire, I went to shave and of course, didn’t have my shaver,” Glaza said. “The ‘comfort kit’ had a razor, toothbrush… anything for your personal needs.”

They are staying this week at the Best Western Hotel in Traverse City.

The Geiger children stayed with friends the night of the fire while Brian and Joy occupied the basement of the home of Brian’s brother. They too, have been overwhelmed by the community response to their loss.

“They’ve been awesome. The Red Cross was on the scene with food and water for firefighters,” Geiger said. “Before we knew it people were there with clothes for the baby and the kids.”

While determining whether it will be possible to rebuild, the Geigers will need someplace to live. They are looking for a 3-bedroom rental home available in the Glen Lake school district.

“I wouldn’t wish this on anybody,” said Geiger, whose family dog, Brutus, was lost in the fire.

Ironically, it’s not the first time Brian has had to regroup after a fire. Last fall, flames consumed his place of work, Wheelock & Sons Welding, in western Grand Traverse County. His family also lost his home to fire when he was 6 years old.

Donations are being accepted for the Geigers at Members Credit Union locations in Traverse City, where an account has been established in their name.