Saturday evening the Hoitink family – mom Megan, dad Jeremiah, and their 11 children had just finished dinner and were watching television in their home on Route 430 in the town of Chautauqua.

One of the children had stepped out of the room and noticed a smell coming from the attached garage. It appears a lithium battery that was charging had caught fire.

She told her dad, who tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher but was unsuccessful.

The 13 of them exited the house before the entire structure went up in flames. The house, attached garage and summer camper were completely destroyed.

Photo courtesy of the North Lake Fire Department Facebook page Saturday around 8:15 p.m. the North Lake Fire Department responded to a house fire on Route 430 in Hartfield. There were around 20 different fire departments and police agencies that provided mutual aid that evening.

The children’s ages range from 13 years old down to 1-year-old twins.

The Hoitink children attend a multi-family homeschool group in the Mayville area. Some of them had been able to visit the Chautauqua Safety Village, where they learned about what to do in an emergency.

“It was amazing that they were able to remember that in a crisis and actually do it,” Cory Leymeister, Megan’s brother, said in an interview.

Leymeister is a member of the North Lake Fire Department, which responded to the fire that night, along with several other neighboring fire departments.

All things considered, Leymeister said the family is doing well.

“They’re coping really well. A lot of the discussion has been around how blessed they are because everybody got out safe. If it would have happened an hour later, probably most of the kids would have been in bed. It could have been a completely different outcome and it would have been very tragic. They’re very blessed that everybody is OK. There’s not one injury. They got out of the smoke and everything,” he said.

The morning after the fire, there were posts on Facebook stating that Mayville Servicenter, Webb’s Candies, Shear Style, and M&K Custom Designs were all accepting clothing and toy donations.

Within 24 hours, enough clothing donations were received so that the different locations said they were all set. At last check, they were still accepting hygiene products and diapers.

Due to storage issues, they could not accept any furniture donations.

Leymeister said the best way people can help right now is through financial donations.

Each location is accepting sealed envelopes of cash or gift cards.

There is a gofundme account set up titled “Support for the Hoitink Family After Their House Fire.” People can also make donations through venmo at jhoitink for Jeremiah Hoitink.

There has been talk about a motorcycle run in July as well as a dinner to benefit the family. Details will be announced in the future.

As the family waits for insurance, Leymeister said the parents and the younger children are staying with their grandparents, while some of the older children are staying at his home, where he and his wife have seven children of their own.

Leymeister said the Hoitinks are thankful for all the help following the tragic situation.

“The family as a whole is very, very appreciative of everything that the community has done so far. It’s been great. Everybody that’s stopped, everybody that’s offered to help, especially with organizing things. We live in a great community and everybody is really stepping up,” he said.