Katrina house destroyed again, this time by fire.

Just when I thought things were finally looking up for me and Ned, we were dealt another blow. This morning, Ned went to see what progress was being made on our house that we were rebuilding, and he called me, very excitedly, to report that there were at least 10 guys working (quite surprising for a Sunday), and they were going to be done installing all our drywall today. The plumber was also working on the laundry/utility room. On Friday, I had made my first purchase for the house - bathroom faucets - and I was pretty stoked myself. Ned called again at around 6:00 pm to say that all drywall installation was complete, and the house was looking really good. Before he left, the thought occurred to him to turn off the main circuit breaker, just in case. Later that evening, while I was grumbling and complaining about the memory card on my cell phone (it's nice when a cell phone is your biggest problem, isn't it?), my father called me to tell me the house was on fire (the fire chief is my father's friend, so they got in touch with each other first). What's more is that my father said it looked like an electrical fire, which had Ned completely floored because (1) he did all the electrical work himself, and (2) he had turned off the main breaker that evening. When we got to the house, the fire had been extinguished, but the firefighters were still there. They traced the fire to the newly installed pipes in the laundry room (thank God it was not electrical!), and they estimated that the fire began at 7:00 pm. Now, I'm not too clear on how this works, but apparently, when the plumber welded or soldered the pipes, there was a spark or something that continued to burn unnoticed. The drywall installers then covered over the whole thing, which further hindered any chances of detecting the fire. Meanwhile, the spark (or whatever) worked its way up into the attic, in which was stored all sorts of excess lumber from previous work. So, most of the fire occurred in the attic, where it spread all over the place. The laundry room, family room, and my office nook are just gone. The kitchen, living room, and two of the bathrooms sustained pretty heavy damage. The bedrooms, dining room, and remaining bathroom look OK, but the telltale soot all over the ceilings indicates that everything above them burned. Fortunately, there's insurance to cover everything, but now we don't know where we stand with regard to when and how we're going to rebuild - yet again. My parents just could not understand why Ned and I were so upset about an empty house in which we weren't even living, and maybe we are overreacting to the whole thing. I mean, it could have been much, much worse. Thank God it didn't happen after we moved in - or worse yet, while we were in the house. But I guess what bothers me so much is that this was finally shaping up into a real home that sort of represented both our recovery from Katrina and our hope for the future, and now it's all gone up in flames. Everyone tried to console us by telling us that now we'll be able to fix the house up even better than before (since the roof and attic were limiting our options in rebuilding the house after the storm). Unfortunately, it's very weak consolation, because the promise of a "new and improved" house was our tool for coping with Katrina. Up until tonight, we were fixing the house "better than before" and would have been quite happy with it as it was. We were only a few short weeks away from moving back home, at long last, and I know that in the grand scheme of things (it's been over 16 months since Katrina hit), a few more months won't be that big a deal. Nevertheless, it's a setback, and I just don't feel like dealing with that. Well, I'm going to go to try to get some sleep. Here's hoping I don't wake up tomorrow with boils all over my body or any other such plagues.

Oh, I'm so sorry!! I know how much you want your life to go back to "normal." I can't even imagine what you must be feeling now. It's especially difficult when the people you love just don't understand why you're upset. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help. Jen

I am so very sorry to hear this. I know what you mean about a fresh start after Katrina, and I am so sorry that this has happened. Maybe it is God's way of saying that you should not rebuild there? Sometimes he gives us little hints and we don't get them. I dunno. Whatever you decide to do, I will keep you in my prayers. Cindee

I am so sorry this happened!

I am so,so, sorry. I can't even imagine what you are going through. My prayers and thoughts are with you.

Sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time. Every thing happens for a reason. Even when we can't make sense of it, God always has a plan for us. Try not to worry yourself sick about it. These are things. You and your family are safe and secure and that is what matters. No lives lost. I will pray for your recovery from this ordeal. Rest yourself and continue to move with your recovery plans whatever they maybe. Your future is safe in God's hands. Your home is where ever you are all together and safe. Praying for you during your trials and triumphs, Bejai!

I am so sorry. I hope that you have better times soon. Lynn J., lap RNY 9/29/04

I am so sorry that this happend to you. I hope things get better soon. Pattie

Thanks, everyone. This is a very frustrating situation to be in, but I've always found that things tend to just work themselves out for the best eventually, so I know it just has to get better somehow. Now, though, we have to play the waiting game. The insurance adjuster is going to take a look at the house tomorrow, and then at some point in the near future, a structural engineer will determine whether it can be rebuilt or needs to be demolished. Depending on the combination of how much money we get and what needs to be done with the house, we'll either rebuild or just buy a different house. I actually did wonder if this was a sign that we should just stay away from Chalmette, but it's really easier said than done. My husband's business is in St. Bernard Parish, and I hope to eventually be hired by one of the medical centers downtown, so living in Chalmette makes for the best commute for both of us. That said, depending on what we find out in the next couple weeks, we may start thinking otherwise. Thanks again for all your kind wishes. I'll let you all know how things progress.

N, I am so sorry that this has happened to you. Debbie