my house burnt

[sunie]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suniedazed/


My house burnt brickyard sunday around 2:30 am everyone got out okay, we lost one animal, a kitten. We're lucky that we've got insurance. And we're going to rebuild. Not the same house because the estamates was 3-400,000 dollars and insurance won't cover that much. I know it sounds selfish I should be happy that I'm covered, don't get me wrong I am happy, but I want my house not a modular ranch, I want my Sears craftman house, It was my dream home. I want my stuff, my house, my routine, and I'm trying to adjust that I just lost every thing. What hurts the most is the things I can't replace, christmas ornaments the kids made over the years, stuff my dad gave me over the years, he's gone now. What the fire didn't get the smoke and water damage got. It was a 6 alarm fire and they estamate 30 thousand gallons of water went through the house. I don't know I'll talk later on.

I put my flickr account on here, I don't know if the link will work or not, but there's pics of the house when i first got it, after we remodelded (sp) and a few of the pics. are fire, and where they're tearing it down.

[ahippiechic]

So sorry! I know how that feels, it really sucks.

[Anniston]

God Bless you and all you are going through. I can not imagine the range of emotions you are going through. I am so happy you all are fine, and am sorry for your kitty.

[OmaLisa]

I'm so sorry this has happened. I can't even begin to imagine how you must feel.



Lisa

[MizzouLady]

I am so sorry you lost your house. I know what you are going through as I lost my home to a fire in 2001. We rebuilt in the same place, but it's just not the same. I'll keep you in my prayers.

[mosdata1]

I'm so sorry.

[BeanieLuvR]

I'm sorry you lost your house but glad you are all ok. Sorry about your kitten.

[YankeeMary]

How sad. I don't think you are being selfish. I think you sound realistic. I know you are so thankful that everyone is safe. I would feel just like you feel. I realize things are just things but they were your things. And like you said somethings just can't be replaced. Sorry about the kitten but thank God no one else was hurt. HUGS!!!

[Jenefer3]

I'm so sorry about your house and kitty but glad everyone was safe.

[gmyers]

I'm so sorry you lost your house and kitten. But very glad you are all safe.

[ttistin]

I am so sorry :hug

[ajksmom]

I am so very sorry that you lost your home and you don't sound selfish.

[jcw]

I am so sorry

[ElleGee]

I am so sorry.

[speedygirl]

I'm sorry that this happened to you. Thank goodness you're all okay. http://www.bigbigforums.com/images/smilies/hug.gif

[shadowcats]

I'm sorry that this happened to you. Thank goodness you're all okay. http://www.bigbigforums.com/images/smilies/hug.gif

until they haul it away , go through the ashes , no matter how much water went through some thing mite have survived , i lost my home to katrina and it was a trailer , but i made my self shift though the remains and i found lots of stuff i though was gone for good even water damage can be fixed in some instances , even pictures can be restored , if you take the effort to look , i found pics and items my kids had made and things my grandmother made , and i even found books that survived the storm. and we were told by the national guard that 37 feet of water went over our trailer.... so if theres any thing left at all check before they haul it off....... and good luck . i know its hard but you do have your family . i lost a son to a car accident and they could take my home every day if he was alive.........
but hes in heaven now, and i ll see him one day.
so enjoy your family and dont give up.

[iluvmybaby]

WOW those pictures are astounding, it is a miracle everyone got out alright, what a blessing! I am so sorry for your kitten.

[mabby89]

Im sorry for your loss.

[Eyore]

Sorry for the loss of your home and belongings, thankfully everyone made it out ok.

[Bahet]

I am so sorry for your loss. You do not sound selfish. You are in mourning. Not just for your kitty and your stuff but for your home and all that encompasses. :hug

[sunie]

The house had a lot of "pocket" areas behind the upstairs walls, there was the L shaped one where the fire started, both of the boys had 2 around their walls, then the attic above the ceiling. the fire was behind the walls, the main L shaped storage area was where I stored almost everything. I took my husbands pics. out of a cedar chest and put them in a rubbermaid tote and had them stored up there. I had a box of china up there I thought they would be safe. The firemen kept chasing the fire, because of the airflow the fire kept moving on them, they said that the only thing that kept the house from completely burning down was that Bloomingdale just bought a 85 ft. lift? truck that they could get above the fire. My oldest son and I went upstairs 3 times to get dot's kitten, my husband found it later downstairs between the fish tank and wall. for the first week and a half I walked around in a fog, I'd put something down and forgot where I put it, or would forget what someone told me. And when they say that fire is a living thing it's true, the smoke is nothing like what you would imagine, It moves in waves and seems like it's alive.

Insurance don't make it any easier, especally the list, how many spices did you have, how long did you have them what did you pay for them? On and on, and trying to remember what you had, what you paid, and how long ago was it that you got it. But what was really worst of all, is the curious, since we live in a rural area and our house was well known, everyone wanted to come and see, they would stop in the street and look, two women came on a couple of 4-wheelers one had a sm. kid on hers and she was saying "look their house burnt" and having a conversation with the kid about it loud enough that I could hear it up on the porch. Those people that had nothing better to do than to go drive by stop and stare burnt me up.

Everyone make a list and refresh it every 6 mos. to yr. take pics. and keep everything away from your house, read your insurance policy also and make sure you know what you're covered on. I had never even read mine and I got lucky that I had a good policy.

We haven't told dot. about her kitten, and I won't she's 9 and just lost her things, her house and I refuse to tell her that she lost her pet also. I told her that a volenteer (sp) person that was there probally picked her up and took her home that night.

[dv8grl]

So sorry. :hug :grouphug :hug

[gordo24]

very sorry

[pepperpot]

:hug

[ilikefree]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through. Thanks for reminding me to take pictures of our belongings. I've done this in the past, but haven't updated it in quite some time. You're strong, you'll get through this. Hugs to your daughter on losing her kitten and all of her belongings. My son is the same age and would be devastated if he lost his favorite things.

[Licchl05]

I'm so sorry to hear about your home, thank goodness everyone got out alright. Poor kitty though :( .

[teenap]

so sorry to hear, glad almost everyone made it out okay!

[whatever]

I'm so sorry!! I don't feel you are being selfish at all. I know people always say STUFF is replaceable. but thats not always true. sentimental stuff like homemade stuff, pictures are NOT. And once they are gone, they are gone. Plus ( I have never been in a fire etc. I can only imagine the feeling) you would feel lost. Your whole routine etc. is gone. Normalcy (sp) as you know it is gone till you replace it with a new normalcy.

[krisharry]

I am sooo sorry for your loss. You have every right to feel upset. Wish there was something I could say to make it better for you.

[candygirl]

Everyone make a list and refresh it every 6 mos. to yr. take pics. and keep everything away from your house, read your insurance policy also and make sure you know what you're covered on. I had never even read mine and I got lucky that I had a good policy.


:grouphug:grouphug

This is great advice that people don't do or think about :top:

I did this when in 1989 Hurricane Hugo came and messed up part of our house , we had to deal with the detailed paperwork also,but from that, we learned to take pictures , videos and update our list when we buy certain items . I keep them in our safe deposit box at the bank and copies I keep at home in my fireproof safe.
We also recently updated our home insurance policy.

[DrGrin]

Sorry this happened to you. I hope your insurance pays off quickly.

Thanks for the reminder. I am going to take time today to update our lists & take a few more photos.

[fleabones3]

I am so sorry about your house, things and the kitten. I cant imagine what you are going thru. Stay strong and I hope the rebuild goes fast.

[Urban Cowgirl]

So sorry for your loss. glad you and your family got out safe though.

[karefree]

I feel so badly for you and your family. What struck home with me was the childrens Christmas ornaments and gifts from you father who has passed on. I am so sad for your losses.

I thank God you all got out safely.

[jasmine]

wow, I am sorry this happened to you and your family. I'm so glad everyone is allright.
Have they determined what caused the fire?

[sunie]

What they said it was electrical it started up in the attic area. Upstairs was a mess, downstairs was mostly smoke and water damage. Hetty, my stepdot on here, her boyfriend is on their towns volenteer fire dept. she looked at the paint and it had bubbled some of the bubbling was huge, anyway she said that it had allagatored up there?? She said that it meant that it had gotten over 900 degrees up there. Our fire detector that was above the stairs melted and was hanging in globs. I know it shouldn't have suprised me but what all the water did blew my mind, mold set up so quick. By the time they took the house down late last week, fire was on 7/26, there was huge patches of black mold everywhere, every thing had black or green mold. The wood floors were buckled. I wanted to try to save the old woodwork downstairs but it was shot. We got the front door, and the doors to the built in cabinets that were in the living room and dining room. Don't ask what I'm going to do with them I have no idea, I just wanted them. Some days are okay then I just feel in a funk and don't want to deal with anything.

[BeanieLuvR]

:hug

[dinosmom]

Wow! I am so sorry. BIG HUGS to you and your family!!!

[DreamWarrior]

Oh hun, I am SO sorry this happened to you! Thank GOD that everyone got out ok!