"Shimon put everything he could into those kids, everything he could do, every waking moment was focused on his kids," Steven said of his brother.
A doting father and his four children were killed last week when a tragic fire struck an Arizona family home. Phoenix Fire Department officials revealed that the family's house caught fire on the night of March 1 as 52-year-old Shimone Boyer was at home sleeping along with his four young kids. When Phoenix fire departments got to the townhome they discovered flames coming from the windows. All of the victims were ultimately discovered inside their bedrooms by the firefighters, per CBS station KPHO.
Shimone was declared dead at the scene, while two of his kids, Dov and Nachman Boyer, aged 7 and 8, passed away later at the hospital, ABC News reported. The other two kids, Tamar Boyer, 11, and Shevach Boyer, 9, passed away after they succumbed to their injuries at the hospital on Saturday, March 4 per NBC station KPNX.
Steven Boyer, brother to Shimone, said he lost his "four beautiful special needs" nephews and niece to this "devastating home fire," and set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the expenses of the funeral. The grieving brother described the father as somebody who gave everything to raise these kids. "Shimon put everything he could into those kids, everything he could do, every waking moment was focused on his kids," Steven told NBC affiliate KPNX. "There are no words," he continued, "there are no words."
"Although I had lived with the family for nearly seven years to help raise these four beautiful special needs children after their mother left the country, I was miraculously out of town when this tragedy occurred, losing my dear family and virtually everything I owned (except the contents of my luggage) in one terrible moment," he wrote on the GoFundMe.
Since there were no operational fire detectors inside the townhouse, it is thought that the fire began while everyone was asleep. There are no overt indications that the fire was intentionally started, according to the outlet, but the police probe into its origin is still ongoing. According to officials, a severely burned washer and dryer were removed from the house.
Flowers and stuffed animals have been placed at the front steps of a condo where a fire killed a family of five in Phoenix. The fire happened Wednesday night.
— Elenee Dao (@Elenee_Dao) March 5, 2023
Shimone Boyer died at the scene. Two of his kids passed the day after & two more just passed away yesterday. @abc15 pic.twitter.com/EJyyM9eUGa
As of now, the fundraising has accomplished its goal, and Steven thanked everyone who contributed to the expenses. "Thanks to the amazing Phoenix community and all of you who have opened your hearts and wallets in our hour of need, the funeral expenses for my brother and his four children have now been completely covered. We are also looking at ways to create memorials for the family with the funds that you have so generously provided," he wrote.
Further, he thanked people who showed up for the funeral, expressing gratitude to those who chipped in as the family grieved. "The love, caring and support of the community, dear friends and even total strangers have been a beacon of light to us during these dark and difficult days. There are no words to adequately express our gratitude to all of you."
References:
https://people.com/human-interest/dad-4-children-die-from-injuries-condo-fire-arizona-no-words/
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/man-4-children-die-fire-northwest-phoenix-condo-97642443
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe
