Community response to one family of survivors from the Auburn Greens apartment fire has been overwhelming for Britany and Ken Mulhern and their two young daughters.

Employees at the Placer County Superior Court raised more than $2,000 for the family, which includes 10-month-old Sydney and Lexi (Alexandria), 7.

“They just started coming up to Britany with checks and bags of clothes,” Ken Mulhern said Wednesday. “None of it was solicited. We were just absolutely overwhelmed.”

Britany, 32 works as a family law clerk at Placer County Superior Court in Roseville, and Ken Mulhern’s mother Katie Mulhern works as a paralegal for Bruce Kline, an attorney for the City of Folsom. Kline started the fundraising efforts for the family by personally giving $200, and then sent out an e-mail describing our situation, Ken Mulhern said. Kline also gave the Mulherns complete use of his house for the first crucial week that they were without a home, and that’s where they are staying now.

Through Kline’s efforts the entire city hall raised more than $2,000 from “people I don’t even know,” Ken Mulhern said. “It just blows my mind.”

The couple are both tall. Ken, 27, a mechanic at Sundowner Trailers in Auburn, stands 6-foot-8, and Britany is 6-feet tall, making it hard to find any clothes to fit them. The girls Sydney and Lexi both received donated clothes, but the couple needed a way to buy new clothes that fit.

“I always had thought that this could never happen to me,” Britany Mulhern said. “Well, I was wrong. I now know how other fire victims feel and I’m here to tell you I’m so glad that everyone got out safely.”

In regards to the generosity of the Placer County and Roseville communities, Brittany Mulhern echoes her husband’s feelings.

“It’s humbling. I am very thankful for the people that I work with,” she said. “They’re so generous and kind.”

Rhonda Payne of Auburn cares for the couple’s two girls Sydney and Lexi at the Rainbow Express daycare facility in Auburn. Lexi attends Auburn Elementary School, when it’s in session. Payne called the Journal Wednesday about the couple’s experience, but did not mention that she’s giving one month of daycare to the family at no charge.

The Mulherns’ 1995 Ford Thunderbird and 2006 Dodge Ram pickup truck both burned up in the fire last week. Britany now gets to work in Roseville by carpooling with a close friend, while Ken drives a car that was loaned to him. A call made to Cal Fire on Wednesday to determine if the cause of the Auburn Greens fire had been found was not returned before deadline.

“I’ve seen them struggle for so many years with just one car,” Payne said. “Then they lost both in the fire. They came out with just their pajamas on. They’re such a nice couple and good parents.”

While standing across the street after the fire, little Sydney did not comprehend what was going on, but Lexi kept asking about her cat Harley and the fish. The fish never made it out alive, but the calico cat wearing a red collar is still missing. There is a phone number on the cat’s tag, but that phone has been disconnected.

“Lexi didn’t know what to think until we got outside,” her mother said. “She was more worried about our fish and her cat. She’s had that cat since she was about 3.”

In addition to all of the community support, Ken Mulhern did manage to save a family heirloom that he treasures – the gold watch that belonged to his great, great, great grandfather, the sixth chief of police in Vancouver, British Columbia. The watch, covered with asbestos from the fire, is now being restored by Executive Jewelers in Folsom at no charge.

“You hear so much negative news, but I have nothing but positive to report,” Ken Mulhern said. “The firemen did all they could. They walked into a burning building to try to help us save as much as we can. Our gratitude is phenomenal, and I believe that what we have is more important than what we lost.”

The Journal’s Bruce Warren can be reached at brucew@goldcountrymedia.com, or comment at AuburnJournal.com.