STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Staten Island community is rallying around a Castleton Corners family who lost their home just hours after spending a merry Christmas evening with relatives.
Lisa Lauria and her son were sleeping in their apartment on Hodges Place when a fire broke out in their backyard around 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 26. It was Lauria’s husband, Rodger, who first heard noises coming from outside and saw the flames leaping at the windows.
Rodger had been showering, but at the realization of what was unfolding, ran to secure his wife and their 9-year-old son, whose room was at the rear of the house close to the growing fire.
A home on Hodges Place in Castleton Corners was heavily damaged during an early morning fire on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025.(Owen Reiter for the Advance/SILive.com)
While the origins of the fire remain unknown, it is believed to have begun in the family’s shed where they store holiday decorations, patio furniture and toys.
“So the shed was like almost right up against the house. So yeah, the first room is Anthony’s room, the flames are like coming in the window his bunk bed was right there,” Lauria, a teacher, said. “It’s tough to even think about it, but if my husband hadn’t gotten out of the shower and seen it, it could have been a very terrible night.”
“We’re definitely struggling in terms of the house and everything, but, you know, we thank God for our safety especially for my son,” she added.
Lisa Lauria (right), her son, Anthony (middle) and husband, Rodger (left) lost their Castleton Corners home in a fire on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025.(Courtesy of Lisa Lauria)
Lauria and her family, as well as a family upstairs, were all able to escape the fire physically unscathed, according to her.
Anthony’s bedroom suffered “terrible destruction” from the fire and the other bedroom sustained significant damage from the emergency response.
The apartment’s windows were shattered, the ceiling was broken and water damage extends throughout. According to Lauria, the family upstairs suffered much of the same.
A home on Hodges Place in Castleton Corners was heavily damaged during an early morning fire on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025.(Owen Reiter for the Advance/SILive.com)
Photos from the scene in the wake of the fire show belongings from inside the apartments piled up outside. Inside, walls were melted, a decorated Christmas tree laid on its side, doors removed from their hinges rested against the wall and boards covered holes where windows once were.
“We had such a wonderful Christmas together, you know just sucks that it turned out this way,” Lauria told the Advance/SILive.com.
As of Friday, the family was being put up in a hotel by the Red Cross; however, there are plans to move in with relatives once they can no longer stay at the hotel.
A home on Hodges Place in Castleton Corners was heavily damaged during an early morning fire on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025.(Owen Reiter for the Advance/SILive.com)
While the family lost many of their belongings and the roof over their head, there is some good news to be found in this heartbreaking ordeal.
Lauria’s aunt, Rosie Larstanna, a Westerleigh resident, organized a GoFundMe for the family in the aftermath of the blaze. As of Saturday afternoon, this fundraiser has generated over $5,200 of its $6,500 goal.
“When you think of what could have been — I’m sorry, I just get so emotional, you know like, we could have been doing a funeral instead of trying to help them get back on their feet, you know? Just so absolutely grateful to anyone and everyone that donated,” Larstanna said.
A home on Hodges Place in Castleton Corners was heavily damaged during an early morning fire on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025.(Owen Reiter for the Advance/SILive.com)
She also expressed sincere gratitude to those that extended prayers to her niece’s family. Lauria shared that same spirit of gratitude to those supporting her family in their time of need.
“I’m very thankful to all of our friends, family, neighbors, even strangers who have helped us at this time,” Lauria said. “It’s overwhelming to see everyone’s generosity.”
To donate to the GoFundMe, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-lisa-laurias-family-after-the-fire.
A home on Hodges Place in Castleton Corners was heavily damaged during an early morning fire on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025.(Owen Reiter for the Advance/SILive.com)
A home on Hodges Place in Castleton Corners was heavily damaged during an early morning fire on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025.(Owen Reiter for the Advance/SILive.com)