We left Arizona to drive home early Thursday morning. We got partway through Utah before staying the night. We left from Utah Friday morning early and drove straight through to Minnesota. We got into the twin cities and into Richfield at almost exactly 6:00am. As we got almost to our street, my dad commented how it smelled like someone was having a wood fire, and we all smelled the strong smoke smell. As we turned down our street, we saw the street filled with fire trucks. We parked and got out, and as we walked and then ran down the street realized it was our house that was on fire. After informing a firefighter that the house was ours, we were directed to the assistant fire chief who explained what had happened.
On Friday afternoon our mailman noticed smoke coming out of the attic and called the fire department. They came out and it appeared a fire had started in the electrical wiring of an attic venting fan and then spread to the insulation. We have cellulose insulation, which is basically ground up newspaper. They sprayed down the attic and pulled down parts of the ceiling to try and get out all of the insulation to keep the fire from spreading. When the fire chief noticed it was still smoldering, he ordered that the whole attic be “foamed”. The foam is very similar to soapy water, and is supposed to be better than water because the foam actually absorbs into wood and fabric to ensure fire doesn’t spread. They left in the afternoon feeling that the fire was out. They were unable to get ahold of us in any way because we were on the road home from Arizona. At roughly 5:00am Saturday morning, someone who lives in one of the houses behind us saw smoke coming out of the house again and called the fire department. When the fire department arrived there was now fire in the basement and in the rear of the house. The fire chief said when he walked in, the basement was “fully charged” and they had to work with water and foam to get the fire out. They think that some of that cellulose insulation must have somehow kept smoldering all afternoon, and at some point fell down through an electrical conduit or the wall somehow into the basement and started a fire there. Before the fire was out, the office/third bedroom in the back of our house had completely collapsed into the basement below. Between the fire and the work that the firefighters had to do to get the fire out, several walls had holes punched/burned through them, the ceiling is basically gone and exposing the rafters, and there is fire, smoke, and water damage throughout the house. We didn’t see it on Saturday, but we were told there was two feet of water in the basement.
On Sunday morning the fire chief called just to ask if it was okay if a fire investigation team went out to the house to work, and we said fine. After church on Sunday afternoon we went to the house to take some more pictures and there were two fire trucks in front of the house again with hoses running into the house and smoke coming out of the attic and front door. Apparently some of that cellulose insulation was still smoldering and they were going to have to foam things over again.
Unfortunately our cats were in the house and didn’t make it, but we are so relieved that it wasn’t worse. We were out of town with our dog and are safe and sound. Many times we have friends watch our pets when we are gone and we are so thankful that wasn’t the case, because things could have turned out much worse. Mary, the baby and I are healthy, and we are so thankful for that.
Insurance has been very helpful, and everyone we have worked with has been great so far.
Tuesday we went over to the house and got to look around inside some more with one of the adjustors. We had seen some damage from the front door initially, but after walking around things were worse than we thought. The adjustor we met at the house was the one in charge of all of our personal belongings in the house, and after looking around she told us that basically everything will be lost. They might be able to clean a couple of things like some inherited china, Mary’s wedding dress, and some other glassware but for the most part everything else in the house will have to be replaced.
Right now we are just taking things a day at a time. We started by staying with Mary's parents for the first two months after the fire, and then finally the insurance company found us a townhome to rent in Edina. We have had a few snags there, from the garage door opener only working for one day and then locking us out to water damage problems that still need to be resolved. At least we have a place that is close to the house as it is being built, and when school starts again in the fall we will be back to more normal commutes.
We feel so fortunate for the friends and family that we have. Everyone has been so kind and supportive. We are so touched by everyone’s thoughts and prayers, they warm our hearts. We couldn’t ask for better support to get us through this whole thing. It is the love of friends and family and God’s guidance that will get us through this.
