It was just before 4 a.m. on a cool night in January 2019 when fire destroyed Alelia Butler’s mobile home on Galveston Lane. The senior citizen barely escaped with her life, but lost everything else.
The Key West Fire Department, led by Capt. James Barroso, local construction companies and generous volunteers stepped in to help. Several members of the fire department not only extinguished the fire, but also helped refurbish the home.
After about seven months of construction, the home is nearly finished. Volunteers gathered at Ms. Butler’s house to celebrate its completion and give her a $500 donation from Manley deBoer and the fire department’s union.
Barroso thanked the people who stepped in to ensure Butler once again has a home. In addition to Manley deBoer, they include: Fire Chief Alan Averette and the Key West firefighters; Rick Milelli and Jonathan Taverez of Meridian Engineering; Frank and Mercy Herrada of FMH Builders; David Steinmeyer and Charles Crawford of Gulf Southern Construction Company; John Toppino of Monroe Concrete Products; Raymond Vazquez and Christopher Vazquez of Florida Keys Electric, Inc.; Edgar G. Braswell IV of Bella Construction of the Keys; Steven Leto and Jason Henton of All Star Air Solutions; Ernie Liz of Ernest Liz Plumbing; Lynn O’ Flynn and Dan De Vooght of J. Lynn O’ Flynn Surveying; the City of Key West; Mrs. Alelia Butler, and all the Butler family members.
