Rebuilding After a Devastating House Fire

As some may know, on December 10th, my home of nearly a decade caught fire. A heating element that I had been using without problems for years within my snake's tank caught fire, both killing my pet and engulfing my dining room. I was away with friends when the smoke detectors alerted my housemates who promptly called 911. Fortunately, my housemates and I are safe and we've all secured short term housing.

The fire spread through the dining room destroying most of possessions, engulfing through the ceiling and some walls, and turning everything black. The heat cracked the glass on my windows and melted the vinyl on my doors. Smoke damage has spread through every floor turning all the walls grey and making almost every piece of furniture and art unsalvageable. To put out the fire, firefighters then flooded the home which then dripped down and ruined everything in the basement. The damage is unparalleled. Some of the fire fighters have warned against saving unburned items because they can still hold toxic, carcinogenic fumes. Couches, chairs, mattresses, all ruined. I've lost countless antiques and my extensive record collection curated from almost every concert I've ever been to, many signed by the artists, seems likely carcinogenic because of the porous nature of plastics and the fumes it was exposed to.

The smoke damage that's through the majority of the house:

Most who know me know how much I value deeply cultivating a space filled with antiques, board games, and pretty things all so I can have moments that feel deliberate, well-curated, and steeped in the love and comfort of the people I care about most. It feels hard to see art, plants, and keepsakes that I've spent the better part of a decade curating go literally up in flames (and what hasn't burned has sustained too much smoke damage and toxic fumes from melting plastic/wood/etc to be salvageable). The home that I've lovingly built now has to be totally gutted likely on every floor. A saving grace is that a few small precious pieces from my godmother Carol and my Grandmother survived.

The insurance is still going through their investigation and documenting everything, but they suspect that they it could be up to a year until I'm able to move back into my home, with the first round of compensation for my items likely coming at least 4 months after that. Insurance will issue checks in rounds, first depreciated, then hopefully the full amount once I show proof of replacement. It could be 18 months to a year before I'm fully back on my feet.

While I know a check will eventually come for me, there's costs that I'm weathering now. I frankly don't know how much I need, let alone how to even price my heavily used things like the collection of spices, cooking utensils, and specialty cooking equipment that I've built up over the last decade and are now gone. There are things I need now to make it through the next year - a standing desk, sneakers, a small about of fitness stuff, cooking equipment, and a new terrarium set up for my surviving pet. I'm working to thrift and borrow what I can, but the next year will be rough.

Thanks to the immediate outpouring of support, I've already been able to pay for the cremation of my pet who perished in the fire. I have more earmarked to replace some camera gear (fortunately my core gear set appears to have been protected from it's case).

Please only donate if you are financially comfortable and able to. I know it's near the holidays and I don't want my already under-resourced community to spread themselves thinner. You can Venmo me (@sageorville) or send support through here.

My home before the house fire:

Sage Shea is a trans wedding photographer who's lived in Holyoke for the last 7 years. They care deeply about the many communities they're a part of and are beyond grateful for the practical and emotional support folks have already started lending.