So on my last post I mentioned that I've been quiet on the blog but it's not because it's been real quiet in our lives and here's the main cause of that!!!!
On Wednesday, my Dad and two brothers took Dad's employees up to the cabin to cut wood. Thursday morning bacon was cooked for breakfast but the grease overflowed and was put in a small pan and set outside. After the employees were out of the cabin and back to cutting wood, Dad got to the dishes and kitchen clean up. He went for the bacon grease that was outside on the porch and when he brought it inside, he saw it was frozen. So he set it on the stove and turned it on high to thaw just a bit before he could dump it out. Meanwhile, someone came back inside the camp and asked Dad a few questions and he decided to go help the employees for just a little while to get them started on the wood pile again.
And that's when things went horribly wrong!!!! An elderly man, one of Dad's employees, was carrying by wheelbarrow a load of wood and went to put it in the basement to fill up that wood pile when he saw smoke in the cabin! He ran out to the pole barn to grab a fire extinguisher and while he was looking for one, the phone rang in the pole barn. He answered it and it was my sister-in-law Mindy. She was trying to get a hold of Jason but he wasn't answering so she called the cabin number. And because there is a phone in the cabin and in the pole barn, the phone rang. He told her that the cabin is on FIRE!!!! She hung up and called my Dad's phone and told him what was happening and Dad took off for the cabin! He was about a half mile out the long driveway and came flying back to see and help! Meanwhile, another one of Dad's employee's ran out the driveway and stopped at the neighbors house to call 911!!! He would have called from the pole barn phone but he didn't know the cabin address! He asked the neighbor for his address and called the fire department! It all happened so fast! By the time my Dad and his employees got back to the cabin, it was burning so bad! It took the fire engines long to drive and find the cabin and then only one truck came. Two fire fighters put 1000 gallons of water on the fire in three minutes and then they were out of water!!! It went another while before the next engine arrived and by then the whole entire cabin was gone! Totally gone!!!
These were some of the first photo's that my brothers took.
These were also the photo's that LaVern sent out as a group text to my siblings at 9:31 AM. He wrote, "Don't know what to say guys but this is where we are right now."
I couldn't believe it when I got my text!!! What??? What is happening??? Why? Is everyone safe? How can we help? We are three hours away from the fire and Mom's at market today! What do we do???
My head was spinning so fast and I just started crying and thanking God that no one was in the fire and that everyone is safe!
My parents built this cabin in Clearfield County four years ago. They made a bedroom for each one of my siblings and extra rooms for the grandchildren! It was a beautiful home away from home!!! We love it here and made so many memories already!!! And now, in just 30 minutes, it's all up in smoke!!! How fast things can change!
I called Mike right away and we decided to go help Dad. Wrap our arms around him and make sure he's OK!!!! ALL my siblings made fast arrangements for our children and every single one of us were on our way to the cabin as soon as we could! Mom drove home from market and hopped in with Tony, Fannie Lynn, Mindy and Mim! John Mike picked up Mike, Matthew and I! Jody and her boys drove Ryan's car. Dad, Jason and LaVern were already at the cabin. I grabbed some food, pillows, blankets and clothes and dropped Austin off at Lena's and Ginger off at Sadie's and off we went for the mountains!
Hadassah stayed home and helped bring the school children home and take them the next morning. Bethany and I were in the middle of cleaning the house when I got the text and so that meant Bethany finished cleaning alone. Thanks girl!!!
When we got there the firetrucks were still all there but wrapping up their hoses. The vast loss and destruction to the cabin house was huge!!!! This was a cabin filled with everything we needed when we went there. Now there's nothing there but smoke and burnt things.
Jody, Ryan and Tyler beat us there and they got the grill that was in the pole barn and loaded it with burgers and hot dogs Jody grabbed out of her freezer. The employees were hungry and tired from the fire. There were no utensils so a knife from the barn became a burger flipper!
Here's a clip from the news.
This is a view of the basement. Can you spy the furnace? The water heaters?
There's a small garage/barn beside the cabin that the employees cleaned out because they thought that maybe this building was going to burn too. Thankfully, only the siding needs to be repaired!
Here's a view of the basement steps. And the second picture shows our big king size mattress in a heap of ash.
Soon after we got to the cabin, the guys started digging through the wet mess. All the wood pieces that didn't burn but are damaged all went on a pile. Then all the metal pieces were pulled out and put on a heap!
These two got pulled right from the classrooms to come to this mess. They didn't mind, Matthew loved to help out!!!
Can you spy the kitchen sink and stove? Look for it, it's there.
My Dad has a ring full of keys that was left on their bedroom dresser. Dad really wanted those keys found because they belong to so many of his things. Here the boys were going through the rumble looking for them keys!
And the next day one of the rings of keys were found!!!!!! All smoky and some damaged but found!!! Thank you Jesus!!!
The cleanup is now extensive! John Micheal hopped on this equipment and started pulling things out of the fire pit. So much to clean up!!!
Jason and Dad tried to hock up a water pump so the basement foundation can start drying out!
And lookie here! A Dewalt box was pulled out of the rubbish and they still work!!!! Totally burnt and some pretty crusty but they started right up!
Here's a pair of Mike's hunting boots. Goners.
Something else that was pulled out of the fire pit was this game. These dominoes looked great but the case was fried!
And because the wood pieces were thrown back on the hot part of the fire, it started to burn again. The firetrucks came out later that night because someone called it in again. They didn't need to spray water because by now, it was all under ground!
My Mom cried when I talked to her the first time about the fire! This place was a dream come true for her and dad!!! They loved this cabin and had it full of nice décor and pantry stocked at all times and really just loved to spend any extra time here!
Dad built a pole barn first. Years ago there was a tiny cabin in the woods that my parents dreamed up a beautiful cabin to build in the future. Dad had a pole barn built to host the family over holidays because that tiny, little cabin only had two bedrooms and one bathroom! It had a teeny, tiny kitchen and just not big enough for my whole family! We would still go to the tiny cabin in the woods over holidays and the summer months but most of us had to sleep and shack out in the pole barn. It has heat, two very simple bathrooms and some bedrooms with plain jane beds! Very simple but it's a bed! Well, guess what??? We are now back to living in the pole barn when at the mountains! We pushed and moved farm equipment around and laid out a rug! These white chairs were quickly pulled off the cabin porch so they didn't burn!
No stove. One refrigerator that my brother Jason hauled out of the basement before the fire got to it! A sink. Two little bathrooms. Water! Heat! A dead mouse was picked up and put in the wood stove. But you know, it was OK! None of us needed much! We were so happy to be all together! All safe and sound!
Most of us slept in the pole barn overnight. Mike decided to go home because he had a meeting Friday morning. Matthew and Ryan slept in Ryan's car. There were two air mattresses in the pole barn that Mom and Dad had the one big one and I slept on the single one. We were crying one minute and then laughing the next! Trying to sleep through the snores and cold floors was crazy!
This is my bed!
Friday morning, Fannie and Mindy went for breakfast and brought it back to the pole barn. No coffee maker and coffee. No utensils to cook with!
Here's the plumber on Thursday night helping Dad with the water situation!
On Friday, we sat down and started making a list of all the things we could think of that was all in the cabin! It was a loaded cabin with everything we ever needed!!! It was a luxury and we all enjoyed coming here!
Dad had us all sit down in a circle and discuss a few things. After the insurance company comes and does what they need to do, what are some changes we should make? Dad did a great job at designing the cabin and the layout was great! But of course, if you would have to rebuild it, what changes would you make? He cried as he apologized and admitted it was his fault for letting the bacon grease on the stove unattended. But none of us were looking to blame!!! We were so thankful nobody was hurt! It's time to pick up the pieces and move forward!
We left the cabin tired and ready for some hot showers and a soft bed! Lena had Ashlyn and Austin for me Thursday after school and Friday! Many thanks to her and Hadassah for picking up the pieces at home and for watching the kids!
Mom and Dad are moving forward! They bought a stove and freezer for the pole barn so that when workers and builders come to rebuild, the pole barn is more livable! I also went with them to Country Cupboard to pick out kitchen/household things. My dad is planning to rebuild the cabin as soon as possible and so they will need plates, cups, silverware and the basic kitchen utensils for when workers and companies come to work!
Through all of this, God has been good! It's been a bit to process but things got even harder for my sister! Her mother in law was taken to the hospital on Saturday and diagnosed with a brain tumor that is not able to have surgery on! This was even more devastating news for the Kauffman family so please keep them in your prayers as they do testing, wait for answers and try to understand all the doctors words!
We press on! We move forward! New beginnings can be exciting and we will be a bit more busy the next few months as we help rebuild a new cabin in the woods!!!
