T-L Photo/ ROBERT A. DEFRANK Firefighters from the Bellaire Volunteer Fire Department look over the house of Assistant Chief Tim Bell. The house was destroyed in a conflagration Tuesday, leaving the family of six to rebuild.

BELLAIRE — A Bellaire assistant fire chief’s house on Fulton Hill Road is a total loss after a fire Tuesday, and friends and neighbors are taking up a collection to help the family of six.

Assistant Fire Chief Tim Bell of the Bellaire Volunteer Fire Department was on site looking over the shell of the house early Tuesday evening. He was joined by friends and neighbors who helped as the Bell family packed what they could and prepared to spend the night at a relative’s home.

“I called my fire department,” Bell said. “Everybody got out all right.”

Bell was stunned by the loss. He said he was told the fire started and spread quickly.

“I wasn’t home,” he said. “I was at work. My wife was downstairs … she heard a loud pop upstairs and then she said she made it to the top of the steps and the house was fully engulfed.”

Emergency responders from Bellaire and Shadyside arrived on scene and doused the blaze. Afterward, a fire engine remained at the site to put out any flare-ups. A cause was not announced Tuesday, and the fire remains under investigation.

A fundraiser has been started at gofundme.com. Search for “Assistant Fire Chief’s house total loss.” By 9 p.m. Tuesday, it already had raised $730 with a goal of $10,000.

The family is in need of extra large men’s shirts and 36 waist, 32 long men’s pants; boys’ large shirts and pants size 34 waist, 32 long; large sweatpants and extra large shirts; and jeans size 40 waist 32 long, and shoes size 11.

They are also in need of women’s jeans in size 12 and 6, extra large shirts, small shirts, and shoes sizes 5 and 6.5.

The family is made up of Tim Bell, his wife Brandi, two adult children and two middle school children. Donations can be sent to the fire department at 2450 Belmont St., Bellaire, OH 43906. The phone number is 740-325-1848. People may also reach out to Ashley Arnett, who started the Gofundme account, at 304-559-4935.