There is (used to be) no place like home

[iceman]

We had a fire at the place I lived in when I was 25, everything I owned except for a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and a pair of sneakers got destroyed, even my wallet went up in flames. No renters insurance either. I won't lie, it was a pain in the ass for a while there, and I still wish I had the 800+ vinyl albums that went up in flames, but I was very glad to be alive and it ended up changing my life for the better in the long run, when one door closes another one opens. Good luck mang, I'm sure it will okay after a while.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Fuck, man. I don't know what to say besides I'm sorry.

[hutash]

Fuck, man. I don't know what to say besides I'm sorry.

Thanks Mang, buy I would burn down 100 of my houses if it could prevent the loss you and your family.suffered. In the end we are just dealing with a really, really big inconvenience, you suffered a devastating loss.

Perspective is important, and all our THE friends help us keep that perspective, we lost stuff, buy still have the memories of that stuff, so in a way we really haven't lost it. Nothing like a little.emotional trauma to get one thinking about what is really important in life.

I know I've said it before, and I intend to said it again, and probably often, thanks everybody the support we get is amazing and it has made a massive difference in our lives.

Just an aside...its 3 AM it is about time to evacuate, flames are in the neighbors yard, winds are whipping at 60-70 mph, so I figure I better put on pants, grab my keys and wallet, and get back to dealing with things. Three days later I'm driving with my sunglasses on when it dawns on me "were in the hell did this come from?" I live in sunglasses, so guess I unconsciously graves them. Now, not having a good pair of sunglasses would truly be traumatic; )

[SB]

ODAAT

[papapoopski]

I'm really sorry to hear this. I wish you and your wife the best. Reading your posts I get a sense that the helpless feeling is already dissipating. I hope this continues and that you find peace and rest.

I can understand your situation. I lost my home, cars, etc to hurricane irene. The laugh/cry thing that you mentioned hits home. My wife and I did the same. For me it felt like a nervous release of stress.

I hope this doesn't sound stupid, but sometimes I think, man, to have everything you own get turned into ash while getting out of it physically intact is possibly a better place to be than some alternatives. I dealt with extreme smoke damage for a few years once. It totally sucked. Or all those people in Houston that will be repairing their structures for maybe years. This way, you start out fresh. You might like it.

Benny makes an interesting point. There were times that I wished my house had just disappeared. Instead it took me 5 years to get it refurbished. Insurance covered nothing for me. I often felt that a blank slate would have been easier to deal with.

[warthog]

Now for a little speech from the soap box...Be prepared, shit happens, and it happens when you least expect it, and happens way, way faster then you can imagine. Doesn't matter were you live, we all have our own particular natural disasters, and need to plan accordingly. We always had an idea of what to take when it hit the fan, but it all happened so quickly (I had less then an hour,) so when my wife got home we had less then five minutes to grab the legal stuff. The pets were boxed and loaded earlier, but we had just started to get the legal stuff when the landscape went up in flames, so all the photos, computer, etc. just got left behind, and we hoped for the best.

Have a plan, know how and were you pets and carriers are. Decide what legal documents you must have, and keep them all together for a quick, easy grab. I am not convinced fire proof boxes are the answer, but no a bad idea just to keep things together. The fire melted bronze statues, turned granite to crumbles and melted glass. It is all very impressive, and would be fascinating if it were somebody else's house.

Help your neighbors, but don't be a hero. When things were still reasonably under control I knocked on doors and then drove some of the streets blasting my car horn. I think I saved at least one neighbor, but I got out with enough time to spare to be reasonably safe. Apparently a few people stayed in other areas all night and fought the fires with a fricking garden hose. I know of at least one house saved that way, but the fire storm was so intense, that person could have just as easily lots his life, and I am amazed he didn't. A house is not worth it...don't be that guy!!!

In other words, be smarter about it then we were.

Once again, thank you everybody for all the thoughts and offers. The support really does help.

Cheers,

Dave and Elaine

Well said.

For years we went through it here with hurricanes. Then they stopped for a long time. People got complacent. This year was a big reminder.

I can't imagine the speed and the enormity of loss. Similar to a tornado I guess. You know they can happen, but you never know when, and you get very little warning. Sorry you had to go through that.

Like Benny said, total loss may be better in many ways, if you have to go through such a thing. I often wonder if sitting for a week watching a hurricane bear down on your house, getting reports of all the damage it left in it's wake, is better or worse than the quick event. I can't explain it, but it slowly eats you up. The shock of a quick event doesn't give you time to analyze the what ifs. You just have to go on instinct and react. In many ways, I think this is better. Of course, with a good head on your shoulders, and some common sense, hurricanes are 100% survivable. I am speaking just about the material loss potential. The life loss potential is the terrifying aspect of all of this that we try not to think too much about.

Either way, Hutash is right. If you live in an area where natural disasters occur, review your plan. Have a go bag for the "Season". When in season, put it where you can get it quickest. Have the pet stuff ready, have a plan. Put a fire safe box of all your papers inside a fireproof safe- worst case, it is double protected, if you can't get to it in time. Make a scan copy of all those documents- update everything on Dropbox, iCloud, or a One drive. Keep hard drive backups as well and have them in your go bag. You never know when you will get internet back.There are so many other things you can do. I would start today by taking video and photos of your entire house and backing them up somewhere other than your house.

I can't even imagine the shock Hustash is going through. We evacuated to Thomasville GA for the hurricane this year, and I can't even explain the post-apocalyptic feel the drive home had. No gas, people completely out of sorts, we had sustained virtually no damage, yet it took months to get right again. Good luck out there Hustash. Sounds like the new house is going to be sweet.

[Marshall Tucker]

the 800+ vinyl albums that went up in flames,

lost an honest 350 or so when the basement flooded for the first time in 1994 (to about 3 feet). The albums hurt the worst.

[TWINS]

So maybe this thread needs to morph into " the ultimate mancave" thread
If you decide to rebuild make it a good one Hutash!
Patty and I are sending positive energy your way.
We are thinking about you and your wife.

Sent from my SM-N900V using TGR Forums mobile app

[Art Shirk]

Like a few others, I skipped this thread, not knowing how heavy it was. Hutash, I'm just an internet stranger but holy shit, you and your wife are in my thoughts.

Check out this thread re: insurance. It could really help with the rebuild: https://np.reddit.com/r/personalfina..._fire/cziljy3/

[hutash]

Keep the positive thoughts, it seems to be working, unfortunately I am going to owe a hell of a lot of maggots a beer after this. Yes, when the time comes and we are settle, I'm buying.

Wife just ordered a new bedroom set, and is chomping at the bit to get to Sur la Table to restock her kitchen

My day will come

[stuckathuntermtn]

Thanks Mang, buy I would burn down 100 of my houses if it could prevent the loss you and your family.suffered. In the end we are just dealing with a really, really big inconvenience, you suffered a devastating loss.

Perspective is important, and all our THE friends help us keep that perspective, we lost stuff, buy still have the memories of that stuff, so in a way we really haven't lost it. Nothing like a little.emotional trauma to get one thinking about what is really important in life.

I know I've said it before, and I intend to said it again, and probably often, thanks everybody the support we get is amazing and it has made a massive difference in our lives.

Just an aside...its 3 AM it is about time to evacuate, flames are in the neighbors yard, winds are whipping at 60-70 mph, so I figure I better put on pants, grab my keys and wallet, and get back to dealing with things. Three days later I'm driving with my sunglasses on when it dawns on me "were in the hell did this come from?" I live in sunglasses, so guess I unconsciously graves them. Now, not having a good pair of sunglasses would truly be traumatic; )

You're in southern California? I'll be in California in a week and a half, but Bay Area. Let me know if you're around for some reason. Glad you and your family are all safe.

[OregonDead]

So sorry to read about this. Just teared up thinking about you two in danger. How can these things happen to the best people? Hard to wrap my mind around it and I'm so glad you are safe. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. You are, of course, welcome in Oregon anytime. Christmas dinner is our special salt encrusted prime rib. Praying for your family.

[GiBo]

I too skipped this thread.

Hutash, so sorry man. I hope the hurt and pain turn into the excitement a rebuild can bring ASAP!

[farmer]

Well said.

For years we went through it here with hurricanes. Then they stopped for a long time. People got complacent. This year was a big reminder.

I can't imagine the speed and the enormity of loss. Similar to a tornado I guess. You know they can happen, but you never know when, and you get very little warning. Sorry you had to go through that.

Like Benny said, total loss may be better in many ways, if you have to go through such a thing. I often wonder if sitting for a week watching a hurricane bear down on your house, getting reports of all the damage it left in it's wake, is better or worse than the quick event. I can't explain it, but it slowly eats you up. The shock of a quick event doesn't give you time to analyze the what ifs. You just have to go on instinct and react. In many ways, I think this is better. Of course, with a good head on your shoulders, and some common sense, hurricanes are 100% survivable. I am speaking just about the material loss potential. The life loss potential is the terrifying aspect of all of this that we try not to think too much about.

Either way, Hutash is right. If you live in an area where natural disasters occur, review your plan. Have a go bag for the "Season". When in season, put it where you can get it quickest. Have the pet stuff ready, have a plan. Put a fire safe box of all your papers inside a fireproof safe- worst case, it is double protected, if you can't get to it in time. Make a scan copy of all those documents- update everything on Dropbox, iCloud, or a One drive. Keep hard drive backups as well and have them in your go bag. You never know when you will get internet back.There are so many other things you can do. I would start today by taking video and photos of your entire house and backing them up somewhere other than your house.

I can't even imagine the shock Hustash is going through. We evacuated to Thomasville GA for the hurricane this year, and I can't even explain the post-apocalyptic feel the drive home had. No gas, people completely out of sorts, we had sustained virtually no damage, yet it took months to get right again. Good luck out there Hustash. Sounds like the new house is going to be sweet.

Good advice. We live in an area prone to fire (Northern Nevada), but really are completely unprepared. This is something I'm going to have to start working on improving.

[LightRanger]

Was off the board for the last couple weeks and just saw this.

Sooooooo glad you're OK dude. And you totally have the right attitude. My godfather's brother lost their place in North Ventura. Not sure what neighborhood, but he said north of Foothill Blvd. maybe a few hundred yards from the chaparral. He said they went back to find just the chimney and the fridge. Sister-in-law quipped, "Food's done." Heh.

Coworker (office neighbor) had her brother lose his place in Santa Rosa. Pretty amazing how few degrees of separation there are.

Hope to ski with you at MMSA or touring one of these days.

[hutash]

Probably the same area. There are three main neighbor hoods that were hardest hit,all north of Foothill. ire just skipped around wiping out a house here and there, and clusters of a dozen or more house in other sections. Seems just totally random. Looks like we just happened to be in a local hot spot, kind of fire tornado thing because there we were in an area with a whole bunch of homes destroyed. Weird.

Thought it might be god's rather for all the gays in California, but my transgender neighbor's house right across the street was spared

[liv2ski]

Thought it might be god's rather for all the gays in California, but my transgender neighbor's house right across the street was spared

DOG works in mysterious ways

[MTT]

I just had a really nice cord of firewood dropped in my driveway. "Really awesome cord of wood."

I will be burnin for the next couple months on this delivery.

Told him to bring another!!

[::: :::]

Hutash, will you rebuild on that property? Or will you look elsewhere?

[MTT]

Hutash, will you rebuild on that property? Or will you look elsewhere?

seems like the right thing to do, His house is in a really nice place. Unlikely it will ever happen again

[RShea]

As you start to deal with all the issues, disasters like this as far as things like photos, IT and computer stuff and importance of life and pets, you sound like you made a choice of helping neighbors and that is very commended.

Sent a pm if there is anything to help in getting you back on track as you deal with recovering from the ashes. Vibes to you and your wife.

[Flounder]

Shit Hutash. That sucks. Just catching up from being in the OC last week for work. And to think my concern was if the fires would impact my flight home. When the time comes post up a list of equipment and I'll go through the gear room to see what I have. You've given me great advice in the past on dog ACLs and I'd be happy to repay with gear.

Sent from my SM-G950U using TGR Forums mobile app

[mcski]

Even though it's just stuff, it's not a loss you can just brush off. My wife lost her house in the Berkeley hills fires and it's still a pretty traumatic memory for her. Glad you are ok!

[hutash]

As promised...







Sorry for the fucked rotation, but pics have about a 50% chance of uploading correctly for me. If anybody knows how to prevent this, I'd love to know.

[GoldMember]

Wow, I hadn't looked at this until after reading about the car incident. Shit, really tough week! Sorry for your kitty, too. At least you and your wife are okay and the 'kids' all made it through okay. Way to keep your chin up!