LISBON

A Lisbon family lost their home at 2 Josephine St. in a fire Saturday morning. Before the smoke cleared, however, community members were already reaching out to help.

Lisbon Deputy Fire Chief Bob Robitaille lives across the street from the house. He reported the fire at 9:25 a.m., but by then, the fire was already in the attic space and second floor.

It took crews about an hour to get the fire under control, Robitaille estimated.

No one was home at the time of the fire.

Firefighters were able to recover a box from the basement. Inside: Six very wet little kittens, shivering and meowing but alive. One of the neighbors fosters kittens for Coastal Humane Society and took over care for them while firefighters still worked to get the fire completely extinguished.

In less than 10 minutes after the fire was reported, members of the community were already reaching out to family members to see how they could help. Members of the town’s PTO arrived and are pooling resources to get school supplies together for the children.

As one family member broke down in tears every time she looked at the home — charred, smoking and exposed — community members offered hugs and others came to the scene carrying clothes. Someone brought a crib and changing station.

Others left to create a GoFundMe page and Facebook page to collect donations from a community that has a history of coming together when something bad happens to one of its own.

As of 6:30 a.m. Monday, $1,100 had been raised out of a $200,000 goal.

The American Red Cross was called and responded to the scene to assist the family after the loss of their home.

The home was owned by Alison Ross, whose first husband, Army Staff Sgt. Eric Ross, was killed in action 2007 while serving in Iraq. Ross and her children were at the Run for Our Fallen Heroes event taking place at Brunswick Landing when the fire broke out. The event is held in recognition of all of Maine’s fallen soldiers.

Ross’s fiance was also away at military training.

“Alison has been through a lot in her young life, losing her husband,” said Rhonda Bickmore, Eric Ross’s mother. “To me, she’ll always be my daughter-in-law. She’s got a beautiful heart and I love her to pieces.”

She added: “The positive thing is, she can rebuild — things can be replaced — and that she’s so strong, she will carry on for their kids, for the memory of her husband and his family.”

Ross has five children: twin 2-month-old boys, two other boys aged 9 and 10, and a daughter who will soon be turning 14.

“Here’s a wonderful person who has had a tragedy, lost a husband and became a mom,” Bickmore said.

To help the family, visit gofundme.com/2ksfz24 or visit their donation Facebook page at http://bit.ly/2begrVb.

The fire is under investigation and the state fire marshal’s office will go to the scene today to help determine the cause.

No injuries were reported. Lisbon, Durham, Bowdoin, Sabattus and Topsham responded to the fire. Brunswick Fire provided station coverage.