Catastrophic Fire Destroyed Everything.

Sorry for your loss!

 

It makes you think about many of the things that you mentioned.

 

Zac

What a horrible experience, you have my sympathy.

 

 

Another suggestion from experience. If your insurance company hires a restoration firm for salvageable items, inform them upfront you do not want your train collection "restored" with the exception of drying them out. We all know that well meaning but ill informed cleaning can destroy what the fire did not. Rust will be the big hurdle.

I have yet to see what was "saved"..I doubt anything electronically based survived the onslaught of water used to put out the fire. 

sorry for your loss and thanks for the advice.

My sympathy for your loss and joy at the blessing that no one was hurt.

Your suggestions are terrific and remarkable after your loss.

 

Sorry this happened to you.

You are correct.   These are just things.   Glad you all made it out safe.

I've been meaning to keep an updated list of what I have and what I spent on it.   This was just in case I die and my daughter has to deal with it.   Good idea to have it for insurance purposes too.

Let us know how everything pans out.

Very sorry to hear of your loss, keep us in the loop how your insurance claim progresses.

Electroliner,

   Hate to hear this sort of thing happening to good people, if proven to lead back to your trains, let us know.  When you restore your home or move into another one, let us know. I will make sure you have a train layout to get you restarted, including a decent transformer. 

Very sorry about the fire in your home.

PCRR/Dave

 

Very sorry to hear this. Best of luck in the coming weeks.

 

This is really going to motivate me to get new fire extinguishers which I have been meaning to do for longer than I want to admit.

 

Good suggestions all around.

WOW!  Very sorry to hear about your disaster, I'm glad that everyone made it out without injury.  Your advice about having an inventory is spot-on, and something I keep meaning to do.

Bruce that is so sad to hear.  I am very, very sorry to hear of your loss.  Is the house itself salvageable or will you be forced to relocate long-term?  I don't know how long you've been in your home but it certainly can be difficult to replace the lifetime of memories  -- all those intangible things -- that a longtime residence can hold.  I hope you and your family get resettled as soon as possible.

 

- Mike

Most important is that you and your family are safe.

 

Your points are warnings all should take 'heed' too!

 

 

I put off the inventory as well as getting the extinguishers and if anything good comes out of this for my fellow O gaugers, all I can say is don't put off what I did. The house was only 15 years old. It seems to have started in the main panel and was electrical. No additions or work had been done on the wiring..The Fire Marshal was flummoxed.Our insurance company hired a forensic engineer to investigate and we are waiting for a front end loader to move some beams etc to get a closer look. The reason I mention this is that from the onset, a fire of this nature would be unimaginable....and improbable. Yet it happened. Let my loss be your lesson.

we had a lightning strike last July took out our shed which I had custom built  and everything inside motorcycle, tools, generator, and much more that had been stored away neatly, I realize this is far less than your loss but still an awaking to keep track of what you have our house is soundproof because we live near airport we heard the hit but never woke up till my neighbor alert us and the fireman told us to evacuate house due to the closeness of shed to house, he did say take what you want and leave my wife pick up the pup and we left  nothing happened to our house. wish you the best

Sorry for your loss. Glad no family members were hurt. You are so right about an inventory list and I like some drag my feet................Paul

Bruce so sorry for the losses, but the important thing is that you and your family are safe.  You and yours are in our prayers.  Jim & Colleen

It's one's attitude not aptitude that determines your altitude. You're soaring with the eagles, my friend.

 

May God richly bless you and yours during this most difficult time.

 

"Pappy" 

To rebuild, an architect will cost about $30,000 based on 250-275  a square foot and if the slab is "salvageable" in the eyes of the insurance company, it will cost another $30,000 to have it removed. The house is a total loss. Another issue is the HOA..which assumes rebuilding and "significant progress" toward that end in four months. Then there is less the balance due on the mortgage....Quite a series of maneuvers will be needed. The trains seem now to be now a very small part of the whole equation. We have a house to rent with one years lease although here in the Charlotte area, two architects said it will be 12-18 months if we can rebuild. 

Heres the media coverage:

 

http://www.wcnc.com/story/news...ctive-fire/24878949/

sorry to hear of your loss.

and I have done an inventory have saved on computer and a hard copy but have to admit both are in our house!

 

will put copy in an off site location.

 

good luck getting all back as it was.

Sorry for your loss, things can be replaced, but those words do not make it easier to go through.  I was a paid firefighter for almost 30 years and have seen this happen all to often.  I keep inventory and receipts in a fireproof box so it makes arguing with the insurance company a little easier.

The most important thing is that you and your family are safe.  The best advice I can give anyone through experience is take a video of your house, inventory your possessions, download them to a cd and store cd off site.  In fact more than one copy is advisable.  

It is a difficult situation to say the least best of luck to you. 

So sorry!

 

Peter

electroliner, I'm so very sorry to hear of your unimaginable hardship.  As others have said, thank goodness no one was harmed.  Thank you so much for turning this positive by nudging us on the forum to be prepared.

I am very sorry for you and your loved ones.

May GOD BLESS ALL of you,

Ralph

electroliner, this is stunning, tragic news and I'm so sorry for your loss. Blessings to you and your family. Thanks for the sound advice. 

Sorry to hear of your loss in the fire, but glad that everyone got out unharmed.  I will take action on your recommendations regarding inventory and offsite storage.  Stay positive, and good luck going forward.

My prayers are with you!  Thank God you and your family are safe and able to carry on.  

 

My wife laughs because I have fire extinguishers all over the house... garage, kitchen, next to the fireplace, and in my train room.   This just reinforces the need for safety equipment like a master switch for your train room.  While it wouldn't have saved you in this instance it does eliminate a potential fire hazzard.

"Our neighbor across the street came and banged on our door and said your garage is on fire," said Duensing.

 

 

 

That is what we heard at 3am several years ago, but our garage was detached.

I'm so sorry for your loss, but thank God you and your family are all safe. I lost my garage containing two project cars, and 20+ years of parts, tools,(some were my Grandfathers) all lost. It felt like a kick in the gut. I can't imagine losing a home.Things can be replaced,people can't. Keep in touch!

how tragic it is that one can lose all their possessions in a fleeting moment.  fortunately there was no loss of life and even tho most material items can be replaced the real bad deal is having to prove to the insurance companies your loss and the true value of the items lost.

the only good part of this is your remarkable great attitude and your sage advise about not waiting to be prepared for a similar circumstance. your advise will be heeded starting today in my house.

i will pray for you and your family that all will return to normal shortly!

Best of luck to you, and I am truly sorry for you for the fire, and the inevitable hassles with insurance, etc., that follow.  

 

I completely agree about the fire extinguishers, by the way.  We have three in the train room and six in the house altogether.  I am not certain they would stop a house fire.  Generally by the time most are discovered they are well underway.  But it might.  Anyway, we have ours mostly because you can use them to clear the way through a fire that has just started, if you have to get out.  

 

Again, best of luck to you.

Wow, so tragic.  I am so sorry to hear about this.  I am a fan of your's.  You always share the most intelligent thoughts when you post on the forum.  Just thought I would say that.  Best of luck in this trying time.

Very sorry for your loss.  Glad you and your family are safe.

sorry for you loss.  a neighbors house caught fire from a defective electric can opener. not a total loss like yours but a complete rebuild inside and a new roof.  this person is a single women and  I know understand the pain.

 

hang in there.

thanks for the advice on the restoration company and trains.

Very sorry for your loss.  It reminds that we all can stand to keep our house in better order in case of this.  And while material things can be "replaced" repairing the emotions will take much longer.  Hang in there and remember you have a lot of friends on this forum that care and worry about you.

 

Art

My mother had a total loss fire. Other than the clothes on her back the only other surviving artifact was, of all things, my baby album. Fire personnel it must have been blown out to the street. Go figure.

 

Sorry for your loss.

 

Dick

Very sorry.

Terrible loss. Sorry for you Electroliner.  Good luck from here on.

.....

Dennis

Very sorry this happened to you, as long as you and yours are OK everything else is replaceable. 

 

Jerry

Sorry for your loss and i know what your going thru. We had our house burn in 1984 and we lost everything except a few pictures.  

Very sorry for your loss.  Just terrible.