Community Rallies to Help Manhattan Beach Family After House Fire
Jul 23, 2021 07:51AM ● By Jeanne Fratello
The Manhattan Beach community is rallying around the Lottman family after their home was severely damaged in a fire last weekend.
The Lottman's home, at 10th and Redondo in Manhattan Beach, was deemed uninhabitable after the fire, and everything in the home has been ruined due to smoke or water damage.
Kirby and Josh Lottman, and their two children, ages
8 and 6, were unharmed in the fire. However, the family lost their
beloved cat Willow. Their two dogs landed in intensive care but have
since been released.
Family friend Heather Dillion has created a GoFundMe to help the Lottmans, with a goal of raising $40,000 to help the family get back on their feet. (The GoFundMe rapidly surpassed its initial goal of $10,000).
The Lottmans have said they will donate a portion of the donations to the Manhattan Beach Fire Department and Manhattan Beach Police Department, to a pet shelter in honor of their cat Willow, and to others who have lost their home and don't have the same kind of support system.
In addition to the GoFundMe, Yoga Loft is holding a fundraiser for the Lottman family on Saturday morning at the 9:30 a.m. Power Flow class with Amanda Lee and with the support of owner Justin Randolph. All drop-ins and proceeds from the class will go to the Lottman family.
Other local businesses that have pitched in to help include Spyder, Beehive, Vuori, Trendy Eyewear, SOHO Yoga, and also Robinson and Manhattan Academy families.
Additionally, Manhattan Beach residents have offered their home, clothes, food, and gift cards to make the process easier for the family.
Praise for Manhattan Beach Fire Department
Through a message relayed by Dillion, Lottman praised "the
alacrity with which the MBPD and MBFD acted, as well as the care and
concern that they took with us....We couldn't have asked for any better.”
Manhattan Beach Fire Department spokesman Brian Yount confirmed to DigMB that MBFD and MBPD were on the scene, along with assistance from El Segundo, Redondo Beach, and L.A. County Fire Departments.
Lottman said that it was believed that the cause of the fire was due to lithium ion battery explosion, although that theory has not been confirmed.
MBFD's Yount was able to confirm that the fire was "electrical in nature" and had centered around a wall in the kitchen that had electrical outlets with electronic devices plugged in.
Lottman also asked families to consider having a "pet sticker" outside the house that would alert firefighters to the presence of pets in the house in case of a fire. The "pet sticker" is not an official program of the fire department, and having a pet sticker would not necessarily change fire department protocols when approaching a fire, but it could help provide information in a fast-moving situation such as a fire.
