“I tried to go back in. The kitchen was just black with smoke. I told my granddaughter we had to get out or we were going to die,” Estes said.
She had inherited the home after taking care of her mother.
“It was a money pit. But it was mine. I was trying to fix it up,” Estes said. “Now everything I did is just gone, but it’s mostly smoke (damage).” Two of her dogs survived, but the others, also inherited from her mother did not.
Estes’ has tirelessly searched and advocated for her son William “Billy” DiSilvestro since he vanished from Hamilton on Feb 7, 2011, and has never been found. The search for her son evolved into a fight to bring awareness to missing and unsolved homicides in the region.
On Sunday, Estes’ posted on social media “Well my life has changed again. House fire. Lost 5 dogs 2 cats keep my family in your prayers… hate to see what’s in store for me next.”
In May, Estes’ had an allergic reaction to medication, drove herself to the hospital and woke up six days later.
“I died in May and I almost died again,” she said. “People tell me, ‘you have a purpose, you lived,’ Man, I don’t know … It is getting old being tough.”
The 65-year-old and her two grandchildren are living with friends and relatives, but “we are really just displaced without each other and my two dogs are depressed and traumatized.”
“I am going to miss Snickers big time, I rescued him. That was Billy’s favorite candy bar. I knew I have to have him.” she said.
Equusearch Midwest, a search and recovery team that is a branch of Texas Equusearch, posted a GoFundMe account on Monday to help Estes.
The post says, “We have known Debbie for the past 13 years from searching for her son, Billy DiSilvestro. Billy is still currently missing and yesterday her house, belongings and beloved animals were taken from her in a fire. Debbie has the absolute biggest heart & has always helped anyone she crosses paths with. From other missing family members or missing persons or anyone she meets, she helps. She is priceless.”
Estes said she became very emotional reading the comments, but “I am grateful, too.”
While she strongly supports firefighters, Estes said she was concerned about the lack of use of a hydrant in front of her house.
“That’s not a fire flow hydrant,” Hanover Twp. Assistant Fire Chief said Fred Stitsinger said. “There are fire flow hydrants in the subdivision area, but (the house is on) one of the original streets in the area so it didn’t have the fire flow hydrant in front.”
Water was used from the 3,000-gallon tank in on the township’s engine with Riley Twp. there for backup and more water if needed. The small hydrant in front of the house is for flushing only.
Stitsinger said the cause of the fire itself was may have been smoking materials but was contained to the basement.
“She was very lucky that the fire was contained to the basement. Basement fires are always the worst,” Stitsinger said.
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