In the Aftermath

This is what is left our our basement, in the aftermath of Wednesday morning's fire.  We think the fire started here. Between the fire that roared through the basement, the smoke that got sucked through the entire house, from basement to attic, and the windows the firefighters had to smash to ventilate the house, it's in very sorry shape.

But we are all here.

We owe our lives to smoke detectors, and my husband's quick thinking and practice dealing with emergency triage.

He was the one who realized what was happening, and got us out of the house in under a minute.

We are alive because of it.

Our things can be replaced.  Our home can be rebuilt.  While not trivial, also not catastrophic. 

My take home messages from this terrible, terrible day:

1--make sure you have working detectors ON EVERY FLOOR. The ones in the
basement probably didn't even go off--they were slag from the intensity of the
fire.

2--When you hear the alarm go off, RUN. Do not think. Do not stop to get
anything. JUST GO. We ran out in bare feet and pj's. If we had stopped to get
anything, we would be dead from smoke inhalation. And if it's a false alarm, you can laugh and go back home.

3--I am blessed beyond measure by the love and generosity of my friends.  From the neighbors who took us in and fed us, friends who have called, emailed, messaged with words of support, who have packed up our kitchen, washed and de-smoked all our dishes, pots, and pans (down to the family photos on the fridge!), offers for clothing, transportation, dog sitting, you name it.  I am rich, indeed, with all of you in my life.

Right now, we are safe and warm in temporary housing (dog friendly!), just a few minutes from the ruin of our home.  People keep asking me if I need anything and I don't know what to tell them.  In some ways, we need everything.  In other ways, nothing.  It's hard right now to know what we need, as we are still in crisis mode.

I am still shaken to my core.  As long as I'm doing something or around people, I can hold it together.  If you scratch the surface, my composure will crack--I've done a fair bit of crying, alone in my car.

If you want to see all the photos my husband and younger son took, they are here.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your support. Just knowing there are folks out there, thinking of us, has been a lifeline.