Top Stories 2021: Tragic house fire results in five fatalities among one family
An unspeakable tragedy struck Riverhead the night of Nov. 16 when a fast-moving fire overwhelmed a three-story, century-old home on East Second Street, killing five family members and displacing five additional residents.
The members of the Rivera family — all natives of Guatemala —lived on the third floor of the home and were unable to escape.
In the aftermath of the fire, community members quickly got to work with various efforts to assist the survivors and the family of the deceased. Residents placed flowers and candles outside the home’s remains the day after the fire as a makeshift memorial was erected. Many more donated through crowdfunding sites and a soccer tournament at Stotzky Park raised additional funds.
The North Fork Spanish Apostolate in Riverhead aided in collecting donations and assisting members of the Rivera family on setting up services and transporting the bodies back to Guatemala.
The family members killed in the fire were Zonia Dinora Rivera Mendoza, her son and daughter, Carlos Cífrelo Penate Rivera and Andrea Isamar Gonzalez Rivera, as well as her two nephews, Carlos Alberto Ramos Aguirre and Duglas Edgardo Rivera Aguirre.
Ruben Gonzalez, the father of Mr. Penate Riveras’ half sister, Andrea, attended the soccer tournament at Stotzky Park. He addressed the community during a break in the tournament as community member expressed their condolences on the loss of his 16-year-old daughter.
“Thank you for everything,” he said in Spanish. “I have no words to express the gratitude I feel.”
Paul Villafranco, who runs the league known as La Liga de Riverhead with his father, Antonio Villafranco, helped organize the fundraiser.
Mr. Penate Rivera played for about three months on the team known as Manchester City in the league and he played about five days a week, Paul Villafranco said.
His teammates had only good things to say about him.
“He was an excellent person; I was very sad,” said teammate Gabriel Araya in Spanish. “It was hard to believe, because we had been on the field with him on Sunday and then on Tuesday when we heard the news. It was a hard blow.”
Services for the five family members were held Dec. 17 and 18, a month after the fire. The funeral mass was held at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Riverhead.
