Tybee fire victims “lost everything,” Mayor says, community collects donations

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - Tybee Island Mayor Brian West has asked for clothes, food, and everyday items to be donated in order to help the victims of the July 22 house fire on Tybee.

According to the Mayor’s message on social media, the house that became engulfed in flames earlier this week was “the home of some of our favorite service industry workers.”

He says “They lost everything,” and asked for donations of multiple items, including women’s shorts, shirts, shoes, and toiletries. See his full message below:

Residents are asked to make donations at the Islander on Wilmington Island or Bernie’s on Tybee Island.

Additionally, a GoFundMe has been created to help raise money for the woman who jumped from the 2nd story of the home.

You can view that GoFundMe here:

Victims recover from fire

It was not something anyone was expecting.

The Georgia State Fire Marshal is still investigating how this fire started.

But what we do know is four people are out of a home.

And one woman is recovering after she was forced to jump from the 2nd story.

Neighbors tell WTOC there wasn’t much of anything that could be done.

“They were trying to spray the plants, because it was just going up, we really thought we were going to loose it,” said Mary Gilker, neighbor.

Mary Gilker was forced to watch her neighbor’s house go up in flames while hoping and praying hers wasn’t next.

“I was across the street, and didn’t realize that until the sirens and I was like oh those are close, oh those are stopping outside of my house,” said Gilker.

The home that once sat here on 7th Avenue was reduced to rubble within minutes.

And four lives, although spared, are changed in a way they never wanted.

“It’s devastating for them,” said Gilker.

One of the four who called this pile of chard wood their home was Fidgit Bouffard.

Neighbors say she was in the home at the time the fire broke out.

According to a Gofundme set up for her, she is now recovering from several injuries including a broken ankle and hurt back after jumping out the window of the blazed house.

“These woman didn’t deserve it so I think everybody is really sticking their hand out and trying to show some love,” said Tabitha Mimes, Bernie’s Oyster House.

City of Tybee residents have started collecting donations at a local restaurant Bernie’s Oyster house.

After only one day, bags of clothing and donated items began are filling up the back bar.

Other restaurants around the island also have donation jars set aside to help.