Bonita Barn Fire

In the early morning hours of March 22, 2019, my dear friend Anna Holehouse's 'rustic English cottage at the top of the hill' was almost engulfed in flames. Anna, a career elementary school teacher for Cajon Valley school district has had a rough 6 months. She recently underwent hip replacement surgery and now...this. Anna is counting her blessings, though, because the house did not burn down. What did, however, was the historic 100 year old barn that has served as a converted music studio/ home for brother, Simon Holehouse, who escaped without harm. It was Pepper, Anna's dog, that sounded the alarm by barking and sniffing under the front door. It was her early alert which provided enough time for Anna to call 911. Anna had a few short minutes to ensure that Simon was ok, gather her 4 animals and escape to the bottom of the hill. She was convinced that the whole property would be destroyed. The good news is that the 50 foot pine tree didn't catch fire due to recent heavy rains, which helped save the main house. The bad news is that because of how the property sits on the hill in Bonita, CA, it has limited vehicle access, which makes the property uninsurable. This leaves Anna financially responsible for the entire fire cleanup and collateral financial consequences. Cleanup will entail equipment rentals, many hours of labor, and hundreds of trips to the local landfill. Large demolition vehicles cannot access the property, forcing them to use small trucks to remove the fire debris.  The estimated cost is between $ 20,000 and $25,000. Whatever support you can give to the Holehouse/Rosier family will be greatly appreciated and will not only accelerate cleanup efforts but will hopefully provide emotional comfort  after this traumatic incident. No amount of money or time is too small.

Thanks so much and please share broadly.

Karen Hunt