House Burned Down, Lost Everything. Hubby Saved Some Of My Tools

[lightingale]

I can't believe I'm posting this a few scant weeks since I posted a photo blog about my beloved workroom. On, April 5 2013, our house was consumed by flames. Everything was destroyed. I'm cross-posting this from my blog because I think you guys can appreciate my grief over losing my leathercraft workroom. I'm not even sure why I'm posting, I think I'm still in a state of shock over this whole thing.

In this photo, my husband steps over the rubble where my workbench used to be. You can still see the granite that used to top my workbench around the level of my husband's left knee. Right now, we're both still a little in shock, and I can't help but feel that all we have to do is drive home and everything will be as it was.

The fire started very quickly. I was out grocery shopping when my husband heard a BANG and a "whoooosh" type of noise from where he was working to repair a computer upstairs. He herded the cats and the dogs down to the main floor and then the basement, and managed to get them to safety by placing the cats in a backpack, wrapping a leash through both dog's collars to better control them simultaneously, and escaped out the basement patio doors. After depositing the animals in the shed he ran back to collect our turtles (also in the basement), and on his way out dashed into my workroom (beside the turtle room) and swept everything from the top of my work bench into a bag, grabbed my laptop and fled the building to safety.

In this photo, everything my husband swept off the table into the bag was dumped into a blue bin (the bag had a hole and we didn't want to lose anything).

In this photo, we've arranged everything on the wood coffee table in my in-laws' basement. He managed to save a lot of the custom-made and hard to get cross-border items (we're Canadian, and most of the best handmade Western Leathercraft tools are made in the USA). My Barry King tools, Bearman maul, makers stamps, and custom swivel knives would have been difficult to replace in a reasonable amount of time. While this may sound like a bad Fed-Ex commercial, he also managed to save the last new collar I had almost completed (also on the bench). All it needs is for its hardware to be sewn on. With an order to CraftJapan for new sewing tools and thread, I should still be able to send this one out, even if it won't quite arrive on time.

I didn't cry until last night when I went through what he managed to save from the fire. I was so HAPPY that he saved these, as silly as it sounds. I had so many more tools, collections of dyes, and other supplies that were lost, but with the pieces he saved I have a great base with which to rebuild my workroom. It will be a long journey but I'm trying to stay positive. We are safe, our pets are safe, and that's all that really matters, isn't it?

Thanks for listening.

[TwinOaks]

Very sorry to hear of your loss, but glad to hear that you and your husband survived this. It could have been so much worse, and "things" can be replaced. I can understand that there were many memories there, and wish you the best in rebuilding your home to match you memories.

[Tree Reaper]

That's a terrible thing to cope with, you will recover in time.

I hope you had insurance to cover most if not all of the damage.

Deal with it the best you can and try not to let it consume you too, your family will over come this.

Kevin.

[Ferg]

Have never experienced a fire loss. I can only imagine how terrible it is to lose your home and so many of your personal items that some folks wouldn't even consider.

This community will do what has to be done to help you, just let us know.

ferg

[rosiart]

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. Thank God that both you and your hubby are safe and that he was able to save your furbabies too.

[Cyberthrasher]

We are safe, our pets are safe, and that's all that really matters, isn't it?

Thanks for listening.

That's the ONLY thing that matters. You got the kids saved, you and your husband are safe, and life goes on.

Glad to see that he saved the most important stuff. But, it also kind of makes me wonder what he let go in order to save your work. That's a great husband you have there!!

We're all here for you. I won't speak for everyone, but I'll help anyway I can. Looks like you're still better set then I am for tools, but there may be some stragglers around there. Just let us know.

[electrathon]

I experienced a fire loss in my shop a few years back, it was no where near as destroyed as what you have experienced. Reading through your story brought memories flooding back (I have always refered to the shop as the "happy place").

I will add you and your family to my prayers. It will take time for the wounds to heal. The comfort I see in what you said is that there are family members in your area that you have the ability to lean on for suport.

Aaron

[BearMan]

My goodness,,, I'm sooo sorry for your loss! I don't know about anybody else here,,, but if you can come up with a list of the kinds of tools you lost, I may have a couple extra tools sitting around that I'm not using. I'm just glad that everybody got out Ok. Take Care,,, Ed

[Fowlingpiece]

Sorry for your loss. The blessing is that the most important assets were saved ( the both of you).

[DoubleC]

I can't even imagine what this must feel like. Please let us know how we can help. Cheryl