LOCAL

Couple's North Naples home survived Hurricane Irma. It was destroyed last weekend by a fire.

Jessica Rodriguez
Naples

Judy no longer has her Care Bear collection. Frank’s assembly of hats turned to mostly ashes. 

The antiques are gone. But North Naples septuagenarians Judy and Frank Albero have each other. 

“That’s what’s important,” Frank said.

At 1 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, Frank woke up to Angie — their 3-year-old Maltipoo — barking. Then they heard pounding on the front door followed by a neighbor yelling.

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Frank and Judy Albero pose for a portrait with their dog, Angie, at a neighbor's house at Landmark Naples mobile home community on Monday, September 9, 2019. The Albero's house burned down in a fire early Saturday morning, and they were woken up around 1a.m. by their dog barking and their neighbor knocking on the door to alert them to the fire. The Alberos say they are devastated to have lost their home, but they have received an outpouring of support from neighbors and family. "Material things are just that, they don't matter. Our lives and our relationships are what's important," Frank said.

Frank grabbed his shotgun, but threw it on the bed when he realized the situation. 

“Get out! Your house is on fire,” a neighbor yelled.

The North Collier Fire & Rescue District responded to the call around 1 a.m., according to a spokeswoman. 

They escaped through a backdoor, which most homes in that community don't have, Judy said.

Judy, 72, and Frank, 73, lost most of their belongings after a lithium battery from Frank’s scooter that was charging exploded in their home, according to the fire district. 

The Alberos live in Landmark Naples, a 55-plus mobile home community.

Judy is a retired elementary school teacher who taught at Manatee Elementary and Tommie Barfield Elementary School in Collier County.

When they were preparing for Hurricane Irma, the couple expected their community to be gone.

"We expected nothing," Frank said. "At that point, we realized material things are just that. "It's our lives and our relationships that are important." 

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Other than minor damages, their home survived Irma. 

It was the flames two years later that left their home uninhabitable. 

Despite losing their home, the Alberos are in good spirits. They have seen floods of love and compassion as friends pour into their temporary home with food, clothes and moral support. 

The remains of a mobile home, which burned down in a fire early Saturday morning, on the 1800 block of Monticello Drive at Landmark Naples mobile home park, photographed on Monday, September 9, 2019. Frank and Judy Albero were woken up around 1a.m. by their dog barking and their neighbor knocking on the door to alert them to the fire. The Alberos say they are devastated to have lost their home, but they have received an outpouring of support from neighbors and family. "Material things are just that, they don't matter. Our lives and our relationships are what's important," Frank said.

A neighbor offered a rental home until the end of the month at no charge. Another neighbor offered his vacant home until January, before his family comes to town. 

Friends from church and their community brought cake. Some helped them grab what the flames did not claim — two photo scrap books that Judy recently stored in a water and fire-proof case. 

It's their faith and love for each other that has helped them get through some of the trauma. 

"We are devastated, but blessed and grateful that we made it out with our lives and our dog," Judy said. "The community has been so loving and caring." 

Anna Albero, the couple's daughter-in-law drove from Sarasota when she learned the news. 

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When Anna was 12, she and her family lost their home to a fire. 

"I think that because of what I went through, I was able to help," Anna said. "It's not something you forget."

Anna said seeing how much the community came together to help Judy and Frank does not surprise her. 

"She spends her time helping others in her community," Anna said. "She's a member of a small church group and selflessly acts on a daily basis. 

The remains of a mobile home, which burned down in a fire early Saturday morning, on the 1800 block of Monticello Drive at Landmark Naples mobile home park, photographed on Monday, September 9, 2019. Frank and Judy Albero were woken up around 1a.m. by their dog barking and their neighbor knocking on the door to alert them to the fire. The Alberos say they are devastated to have lost their home, but they have received an outpouring of support from neighbors and family. "Material things are just that, they don't matter. Our lives and our relationships are what's important," Frank said.

Just the night before, Judy and Frank gathered clothes, linens and supplies to send to the Bahamas. 

"Never did I ever dream that the next day I would be without anything," Judy said. "But God supplied our needs." 

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Friends and family raised $3,000 through a GoFundMe account nearly immediately, and by Friday morning, it was $5,875 toward a new $10,000 goal. 

Frank suffered a stroke in 2015. While Judy has handled running around doing errands, Frank is her pillar of support, Anna said. 

Early Sunday morning, when they finally both settled in bed Frank grabbed Judy's hand. In a voice that was not made for singing, Frank sang "How Great Thou Art."

"We have a strong faith, but also have a strong love for each other," she said. "It’s really true God had really taken care of us." 

Click here to support Albero Fire organized by Sherry Harvey