For Debbie Thornton Sunday, Nov. 13 was the “most devastating day” of her life. Yet, in another way it was the best day and, in a respect she never dreamed possible, it has renewed her faith in humanity.

It was shortly after noon on the bright sunny almost summery day. Thornton’s older daughter, Melissa Cardoza, and her husband, Brian, were shopping and her 4-year old grandson, Caleb, was playing with LEGOs. Her 17-year-old grandson, Roman Matarese, was in the house and her 18-year old granddaughter, Brianna Cardoza, was upstairs. Debbie was still wearing her PJs. She was barefoot and enjoying a morning without work and being with family. Baby, the family dog, was inside, too.

The family has lived in a house, built in the late 1800s at 551 Oakland Beach Avenue, for almost four years. It’s a spacious property with a small garage on one side and a deep lot that runs alongside Wood Street. A porch looks out on Oakland Beach Avenue.

Baby started barking and Debbie opened the door to see what it could be. The porch was on fire. There was no escape from the front door. She slammed the door shut. Her only thought was to get everybody out as quickly as possible.

Motorists and neighbors saw the flames. They sounded the alarm. Jonathan Kane was driving by. He has no connection to the family, but knew he had to do something. He was banging on the back door just as Debbie and the two boys were coming out. Debbie told him Brianna was upstairs.

The fire was burning quickly, engulfing the porch roof and climbing up the front of the house. Debbie didn’t have the time to think of all the details, not even putting on shoes. She yelled for everyone to get out. Brianna heard her and, not knowing the extent of the fire, filled a bucket with water. As she descended from the second floor she saw the flames and realized the futility of her plan. She froze in her footsteps. Kane found her there and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her down the stairs and to safety.

A wave of relief hit Debbie as soon as she knew everyone and the dog had made it out. It was the best thing.

But now she was faced with a burning house and watching as firefighters arrived to fight the blaze. She could see her car was in danger and spectators suggested she move it before it was too late.

“The keys were inside and I wasn’t going to get them,” Debbie said. She lost the car. Also inside the house were her cellphone and the cellphones of the grandchildren. Word of the fire spread quickly. Debbie’s daughter, Melissa, who was shopping, franticly tried calling their mother to no avail. She called her younger sister, Jonie, who lives in Nausauket. She dropped everything and rushed over, too.

It was surreal, recalls Jonie. Firefighters were fighting the fire. Spectators and TV news crews had arrived.

Neighbors, friends and complete strangers came to their aid. Since Baby has an aversion to those in uniform – seeing the mail carrier and UPS delivery personnel makes her bark – they moved her to the back of the lot so she wouldn’t see firefighters and police. But, as one of the heroes of the day, spectators soon knew she was there and a stranger to the family delivered a new leash and food. Another spectator delivered meals from Burger King.

“I don’t think we could live in a better community. The love is overwhelming,” says Jonie.

Debbie feels the same way. Since the fire, which firefighters think may have started when a pedestrian flicked a cigarette butt into dry leaves, an online GoFundMe Page has been set up to help the family. Ross Simons, where Debbie works, helped the family. The family received a Thanksgiving Day basket donated by the employees at Abbott Properties on Monday, parishioners at St. Benedict Church have helped and there have been offers to find housing and gifts of furniture.

As the family was preparing to do laundry prior to the fire, a lot of their clothes were in the basement and were spared. They have been able to recover those and wash out the odor of smoke. That hasn’t been the case for the quilt squares and blankets Melissa and Debbie were making for Care Squared Rhode Island. The quilts and blankets are given to Be the Change and other agencies helping the homeless.

“You never think this could happen to you,” Debbie said of the fire. She has been overwhelmed by the community response. She never imagined it could be like this. She is so grateful.

The outpouring has likewise amazed Jonie. She said it has taught her, “It is much easier to be on the giving end. It is so emotional on the receiving end. It’s a blessing more than you know.”