A Key West woman lost everything in a fire. Locals built her a new home.
Key West residents gathered Wednesday to celebrate Alelia Butler’s homecoming as she moved into a brand new place in Old Town.
It was far more than moving day.
Nearly two years ago, Butler, 77, escaped from the fire that destroyed her mobile home on Galveston Lane.
She had to start all over. But the island community made sure she didn’t have to do it alone.
Even in Key West, where generosity is common and people look out for one another, something extraordinary unfolded when people learned of her plight.
They decided to provide Butler with a 1,300-square-foot, three-bedroom, two bathroom home, on an island where housing is both expensive and hard to find. It was built on the same spot on Galveston Lane where she lost everything.
The house was handed over to her Wednesday in move-in condition. All the details were in place, from the appliances to the shower curtains and towels.
“That’s my Christmas present,” said Butler, as her friends, family and neighbors stood outside the home to watch her receive the keys, along with the certificate of occupancy.
She cut a red ribbon placed across the front steps to cheers.
“All my friends and family and everyone just wishing me well and keeping me lifted up, it was worth every minute that I’ve been through,” she said.
Fire Department Capt. Jason Barroso was there the night of the Jan. 29, 2019, fire and led the investigation.
He deemed the cause “undetermined and unintentional in nature,” writing in his report that Butler told them she had lit a candle, fell asleep and awoke to a fire.
Butler barely made it out of the mobile home alive, Barroso recalled.
“And we became very close,” he said. “We’ve been praying together.”
Butler owns the property but had no insurance. Barroso decided to take action to ensure she would return to Galveston Lane.
He organized and started making calls. Over the past year and a half, locals raised money, sought donated construction supplies — from the roof, concrete and lumber down to the kitchen cabinets and furniture — and volunteered their time to build Butler a new home.
On Wednesday, Barroso estimated the house would have cost more than $450,000 to build. The fundraising total was between $50,000 to $75,000, he said.
“Most of it was donated,” Barroso said.
Barroso said 62 people and businesses pitched in. He called it an enormous effort.
Butler’s family expressed gratitude for the community’s work, led by Barroso.
“People talk all the time,” her son, Derek Butler said. “But sure enough, he’s a man of his word.”
Fire Chief Alan Averette said after the fire, Barroso came into his office to tell him of the plan.
“All he asked from me was for my support,” Averette said. “It’s a big thing to take on. He took it on and he got all these people together. He is truly one of a kind.”
After Butler cut the red ribbon on her porch, which was lined with poinsettias, she welcomed visitors into her new place. She posed for photos in front of the Christmas tree with her son, Derek, and grandson, Derek Butler Jr.
Key West City Commissioner Clayton Lopez grew up watching locals help those who were struggling.
“Families would come together and do things whenever someone was in need, especially things like this, a fire when someone loses everything,” Lopez said. “And yet, in the end they haven’t lost much at all because the community comes together and helps them rebuild.”
This story was originally published December 22, 2021 at 4:03 PM.
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