Please consider supporting Cathy Hanchey and Kenneth "Ike" Eisenhart as they rebuild from a house fire gone horribly wrong.

On the evening of Monday, 10/09/2023, a grease fire ignited in the kitchen. Cathy called 911 while Ike, a Volunteer for multiple fire departments, worked to extinguish the fire with a dry chem fire extinguisher. Multiple First Responders arrived, and Ike requested they check the attic since there was still a lot of smoke in the house. They used a TIC (Thermal Imaging Camera) and did not see additional flames.

After an hour, the Fire Department left the house. Cathy began cleaning while Ike began investigating the source of the continued and increasing smoke. He went to the attic to pull out the insulation and sent Cathy and their two dogs outside as the smoke continued to increase; Cathy called 911 again, and flames began leaping from the roof in the area above the home office. Ike attempted to extinguish the fire with the water hose as a last-ditch effort, but his efforts were futile.

When the Fire Department returned with 13 vehicles, the firefighters ran through the house with axes and chainsaws to cut the walls, roof, and ceilings to extinguish the fire that became trapped in the walls and ceiling. The fire was finally fully extinguished 4 hours later.

The damage to the house and the lack of electricity to the home (the electrical meter was pulled due to the damage and exposed wires) have made the house uninhabitable. Cathy and Ike's temporary displacement is exacerbated by the fact that they live on a small farm with 2 dogs, 1 cat, 13 Nigerian Dwarf goats, 9 Bourbon Red Turkeys (3 adults, 6 juveniles), 3 pigs, 14 ducks, quail, pheasants, and chickens. While they can no longer live in their farmhouse, they still must care for their animals in the process.

Cathy is employed full-time with the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Ike is an Army Veteran who has been deployed in his 30 years of service to Iraq (2x), Kosovo in 2022, and most recently deployed to Texas.

Cathy and Ike are a resilient couple; during Ike's deployments, Cathy manned their small farm independently, including surviving the winter storm of 2022 without power for weeks. An insurance claim for the housefire has been submitted, and when the mitigation company came to see the house on 10/10/2023, it appeared to be a total loss due to smoke and water damage. Neighbors and churches have been generous with their time and knowledge, and small steps have been made to find a temporary water solution to fulfill the twice-daily water demands of the animals. A local company has donated a flushable Port-a-John with a handwashing station.

Fundraising will help Cathy and Ike find a camper/trailer to rent or purchase to allow them to stay on their property to care for the animals while their house is being repaired. The rebuild is currently estimated to take 6-8 months. Other items that will need to be repurchased include a new HVAC system, refrigerator, mattress, gutters, some clothes (Cathy and Ike have been thoroughly washing what remains so it's salvageable), food, and other items still being inventoried. Coco the cat is temporarily boarded, three roosters have been rehomed, and the baby chicks are being cared for by a friend.

Thank you for your time and support as Cathy and Ike get back on their feet and begin to envision life after this loss. The home sits on a small, working Virginian farm, and the fire occurred in the owners' residence at a time when local farms are perishing. We need all the eggs, cheese, and goat milk produced by these homeowners!