Community Rallies Around Widower After Fatal Fire in Rahway
A GoFundMe campaign raised thousands of dollars hours after the victim was identified by the family on Thursday.
Bill Buchanan and his wife, Tracey Ann Buchanan, are pictured together in a photo shared by the family following her death in a High Street house fire in Rahway. (Credit: GoFundMe / Family photo)
Chris Howell | January 23, 2024
In the hours after a deadly fire claimed the life of a High Street resident, the Rahway community responded with an overwhelming show of support.
A fundraiser launched for the victim’s widower raised more than $22,000 within hours, as neighbors, friends, and strangers rallied around a family facing sudden loss.
The fundraiser, hosted on GoFundMe, was launched by the wife of a co-worker and later shared by relatives on social media. The victim has been identified as Tracey Ann Buchanan (formerly O’Donnell), who was killed in the fire on Tuesday, January 20.
“We are absolutely devastated and in shock,” says the victim’s daughter, Katelyn Mae, in a message shared publicly on Facebook. “My Mom and Bill were high school sweethearts. They reconnected later on in life and lived together filled with so much deep love for each other. “
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The campaign is intended to help Bill Buchanan with immediate and ongoing expenses after he lost both his wife and the home they shared in the fire.
According to the fundraiser page, donations will be used to cover housing needs, daily living costs, and other unexpected financial burdens as Buchanan navigates the sudden loss. Hundreds of donors contributed within the first day, many leaving messages of condolence and support.
Officials described a harrowing scene when the fire broke out at approximately 10:20 a.m. at the couple’s home at 1583 High Street, a 2½-story, wood-frame residential structure. Firefighters encountered heavy fire conditions on the first and second floors, with flames extending into the attic and heavy flames shooting out of the house, according to city officials.
During the early stages of the incident, Rahway police officers restrained an occupant who attempted to re-enter the burning home as conditions rapidly deteriorated inside, according to a statement from the City of Rahway. Firefighters were briefly forced to evacuate due to unsafe conditions before re-entering once the bulk of the fire was knocked down.
A Rahway firefighter walks past the scene as crews continue post-fire operations following a three-alarm blaze on High Street. (The Central Jerseyan)
The blaze escalated to a third alarm, drawing mutual aid from multiple surrounding municipalities. Mayor Raymond A. Giacobbe later confirmed that one person was killed in the fire and expressed condolences to the family, while praising first responders for their actions under dangerous conditions.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by local and county authorities, including the Union County Arson Task Force. City officials said additional information will be released as it becomes available.
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