After a fire destroyed four University of Wisconsin graduates’ possessions, they are accepting donations via Gofundme to help deal with the damage.
Solvei Kromm, a UW alumna, started the crowdfunding campaign for her friends Sunday, the day after the fire. She said the four women, Carlye Guzman, Megan Newsom, Brianna Krieg and Becky Schultz, who lived in the house have made sleeping arrangements for the time being.
The four women all lived in a first floor apartment on 141 E. Gorham St. and were not home when the fire erupted, Kromm said.
It took 47 firefighters three hours to extinguish the blaze, which destroyed an estimated $250,000 worth of property.
“The fire spread very quickly and absolutely nothing was salvageable,” Kromm said.
So far, the campaign has raised $6,765 and Kromm said they have already approached the UW Alumni Association and the city in hopes of spreading awareness. The Alumni Association responded they cannot advertise the campaign because it does not include all of the apartment’s former tenants, Kromm said.
Kromm, who graduated from UW Nursing School in 2015, said the fire was particularly devastating given that her friends have only just begun adjusting to the work force.
“They were just getting on their feet and now they have to start over,” Kromm said.
Kromm said family, friends and community members have been supportive, but the four are still struggling to cope with the new reality. She said they will begin looking for new homes once the city concludes the investigation of the fire. The cause of the fire is still unknown.
“Right now they’re just trying to wrap their heads around the whole thing,” Kromm said.
