OVID, N.Y. (WSYR) -- After watching apartments and businesses succumb to the flames of a devastating fire on Jan. 21, the Ovid community continues to rally together on the long road to recovery. On that frigid, fateful night, the fire started in an apartment above the Big M Supermarket and raged for hours, destroying several homes and beloved businesses downtown. "It just kept going and going and we couldn't gain access to it and we couldn't slow it down and then all the challenges that we had that we struggled to overcome…to see the whole block go like that was just devastating…devastating to everyone in the community," Fire Chief Timothy Westlake said. More than two months later, the fire department continues to see an overwhelming response from surrounding communities. On Tuesday, the Ovid Fire Department accepted a $10,000 donation from NextEra Energy to go towards the department and the Ovid Fire Relief Fund. "It's just an honor to be able to give a donation of any size to help the people rebuild the town," Alex Wallace, a developer for NextEra Energy, said. The department hopes the funds will help the town on its journey to rebuild essential businesses, like the community's only grocery store. "People are finding ways to still make it happen, but when you lose something like that…the majority of this community walked to the grocery store, and now there is no grocery store to walk to," Chief Westlake said. "They're having to travel outside of the area to get their normal daily goods!" Clean-up for the remaining debris is scheduled to begin mid-April, according to Chief Westlake. "Once we get to the point where that clean up is done and we get the thumbs up that things can move forward…that's when you're going to see the turn," he said. Until then, Chief Westlake said the community continues to express its appreciation for the ongoing support of friends across New York State. "It's a very strong community, and it's not just our community. It's people from outside our community that want to see this community recover," he said. The Ovid Fire Department continues to accept donations and support. ...read more read less