Colebrook fire: Family mourns hero dog

COLEBROOK — Aug. 30 was a very tragic day for Eva Villanova and her daughters, Claire and Alexis and Eva’s boyfriend, Mark Palmer. The Colebrook home where the Villanovas had lived for 23 years was consumed by fire.

Only Villanova and Palmer were inside the house at the time of the fire. The oldest daughter, Claire, was at school at Green Mountain College in Vermont and the younger daughter, Alexis, was at her boyfriend’s house.

However, one beloved Villanova family member did not make it out of the fire: their dog, Moe.

“Moe was like a third child to my mom,� said Claire in a phone interview from Vermont this week. “He protected us and we treated him as a member of the family. We moved into that house when my mom was pregnant with me, so we made a lot of special memories in that house, and sadly it ended with a very sad and tragic memory that we will never forget.�

That day had started off normally for Villanova and Palmer. Palmer rose early to shower and get ready for work. But on this particular morning Moe was persistently barking, refusing to stop even after Palmer tried to quiet him down because Villanova was still sleeping.

Palmer said at first he had assumed that Moe was barking because of a bear that frequents the back yard, but after he refused to quiet down, he decided to bring the dog outside. Their bedroom was on the third floor of the house.

“As soon as Mark opened the door he saw smoke flooding up the stairway to the third floor,� Claire said. “Also, at this point none of our house’s smoke alarms went off, so we have no idea how Moe knew about the fire.

“Once Mark saw the smoke, he ran down the two flights of stairs and just saw glowing red flames. At that point he ran back to the second floor to look out to the deck and just saw tons of bright red flames at the back of the house.

“He thought Moe had followed him and had run safely outside, so Mark ran back upstairs to wake my mom and to call 911 and then they ran outside together.�

Claire said that her mom could hear the fire crackling and could hear windows in the first floor of the house exploding as she and Palmer were running out to safety.

Once the family was safely outside, in all the confusion and panic no one could see Moe, and they all tried calling back into the house but couldn’t find him.

“Moe was scared of the vacuum and any other loud noises and usually hid under the bed when he was scared, which he considered his safe spot. After alerting my mom and Mark of the fire, we think he retreated to where he thought he would be safe,� Claire said.

Villanova and Palmer waited outside for half an hour, calling for Moe, waiting for firetrucks to arrive, watching the house burn to the ground.

“Within 10 minutes of my mom and Mark getting out of the house, the whole thing was engulfed. All that is left is the garage,� Claire said. “Our house had an open floor plan, so it basically acted like a chimney with all that air flow. All my mom and Mark could do was sit and wait, helpless, as they began to realize Moe, who had saved their lives only minutes earlier, did not make it out with them. If it hadn’t been for Moe, my mom and Mark might not have made it out either. He was a hero. He truly was.�

Authorities are speculating that the fire was started by electrical problems, possibly in the home’s hot tub, which was in the back of the house on the deck.

Claire said she is trying to stay positive while at school, and to recover with her family while mourning the loss of Moe.

“I’m just glad my mom and Mark are OK, that’s most important,� she said. “Houses can be replaced but family cannot, so that is what matters most.�

The Villanovas are currently staying at Palmer’s Winsted apartment but looking for a permanent place to live. They might rebuild on the site of their former home. At this point, they’re exploring all the options.

A benefit pasta dinner for Eva, Claire and Alexis Villanova and Mark Palmer will be held Monday, Sept. 20, from 4 to 9 p.m. at The Tributary Restaurant in Winsted.

Tickets are available now through Toni Winn in Colebrook, at The Tributary Restaurant, by contacting The Winsted Journal or at the door. Ticket prices are $20 for adults and $10 for children.

There are also plans in the works for a second benefit, a concert put on by Palmer’s friends. More details on that will follow.