Managing life in the aftermath of a fire isn't easy, but support from the community helps a lot, said a local teacher whose house sustained significant damage in a blaze last week.

Denise Griffith, her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Amy, 13, a student at Chaparral Middle School, weren't home when the fire broke out in an upstairs bedroom of their house in the 4400 block of Cedarglen Court at about 3:30 p.m. on March 9.

A faulty power strip apparently started the blaze, said Griffith, who's lived in Moorpark since 1978. The family pets, a dog and a cat, were not harmed.

The Griffiths are staying at a hotel in Simi Valley until they find a rental home in Moorpark. Their home is inhabitable until major repairs are completed.

"We're just kind of living day by day," said Griffith. Her family lost many valuable possessions, she said, because most of the second floor was destroyed, and the first floor of the home sustained smoke and water damage.

Griffith, who teaches third grade at Walnut Canyon Elementary, has been with Moorpark Unified School District for 23 years. The support of co-workers and friends is making a difficult time easier, she said.

Employees at Walnut Canyon and Arroyo West elementary schools are collecting donations for the family, and many people have invited them for dinner in recent days, Griffith said.

"The community has been wonderful; moral support is what we need most."

Amy agreed. "Things could always be worse; the things lost are just material things. The biggest lesson in all this is that you know that all your friends will be there to help you," she said.