On June 28th 2025, a major fire destroyed my father’s (Julian) house and house extension that was used as a carpentry workshop in Alsace, France.

The fire was extensive and extremely serious. About ninety firefighters were involved, and the fire reignited several times over the following days due to extreme heat. The fire also affected the neighboring house. Some firefighters suffered smoke inhalation due to the intensity of the blaze. Their quick response and courageous work on June 28th prevented further destruction, and they deserve full recognition for their efforts.

This house was the result of over 25 years of work and personal projects. Julian moved from England to France in 1992, to build a family and houses. He learnt French, passed carpentry certifications, worked as an employee and finally opened his own carpentry company and worked on renovations and construction of old style timbered houses and the building of oak staircases. With the help of his father, Edward, they together purchased a land, and my father devoted years to constructing, maintaining, and improving this home with his own hands. Not only did he build his house and move there after the divorce with my mother, but he also developed the entire hill on which the house stands: he built a massive old-style house with 6 accommodations in it, and another individual house on the same hill, everything with the classical techniques and old and natural materials.

In 1999, a severe storm had already caused significant damage to the house. Julian rebuilt it completely, continuing his original project with perseverance. The adjoining workshop was the center of his professional activities: he renovated historic houses throughout Alsace, built staircases, and worked on carpentry projects on construction sites.

Alongside his manual work, my father has always been an avid reader, particularly of history, classic literature, political philosophy, and social culture. Reading has been a central part of his intellectual life and personal balance. The fire damaged much of his personal library, accumulated over more than 50 years - around 500 books. For him, a passionate reader, these books represent an essential part of his intellectual life and personal heritage.

Today, at 71 years old, my father is left without the sufficient resources to rebuild or relocate. The fire destroyed not only the workshop and part of the house, but also all of his professional tools and capital: machinery, hand tools, stocks of wood for projects such as staircases -an accumulation of a lifetime dedicated career - and even his car. These tools had financial value: he had planned to sell them gradually in retirement to supplement his pension (that is close to 400e per months) and save for his future needs. The workshop extension was completely destroyed. There is nothing left of it AND most of all, it was not insured. The main house is inhabitable as the roof and upper floor burnt and the natural material between the beams has absorbed the floods of water used for the extinction.

On top of that, a week after the fire, his 15 years' time partner decided to go her own way and leave him.. While his idea was to camp in the ruins of his house, my sister and I decided to endorse the responsibility of reorganizing his entire life. I saw that as an opportunity to open a new chapter, and tried to instill some positivity in the daunting circumstances.

In the immediate aftermath, I temporarily hosted him in Paris, and we arranged a few short stays in Airbnb accommodations (as I only have a small studio). He had to be taken care of because he was under the post-traumatic shock of the loss, and it had affected him also physically, to the point that he bought a cane to walk properly because he was losing balance. Therefore he had to go in a wheelchair in the airports. My siblings and I were scared that he wouldn't make it through the shock but we were supportive, and we planified the best we could the next week/weeks/month/months although it was difficult to make prognostications on his condition. Him staying with one of the children was not a realistic option so we had to lay down the multiple plans and opt in.

Very recently, on July 28th, he traveled to Sri Lanka (where he has already spent a lot of time before), where he is staying now in an Ayurvedic center. This allows him to rest, receive meals, undergo treatments and massages, and swim daily to rebuild muscle and strength. This stay is essential to help him cope with the post-traumatic shock. Now he is eating better, having healthier physical activities, walking and swimming, less intrusive saddening thoughts about the event, and is looking up to some new projects like teaching carpentry classes in Sri Lanka, English classes, and writing another book.

While it provides a temporary solution, long-term support is urgently needed. Reconstruction is not expected for at least one to two years. That means that he cannot live in the place nor sell it to move somewhere else he'd prefer. In the meantime, my father, who already has age-related mobility issues, as his professional life was physically demanding, will need stable housing. Funds raised will help cover rent and provide him with safe and suitable accommodation in a place where he could restart his life, settle safely, establish some healthy routine.

Over the past eighteen months, Julian had also been working on a very personal project: a book titled Bisaigue, written on his iPad. He completed the book two weeks before the fire. It is an autobiography recounting his life, which he hoped to publish and earn royalties from to support himself in complement of his very low pension. A chapter of his life abruptly ended but he keeps his head up towards a better future.

We are launching this campaign to raise funds to:

• Provide stable housing during the lengthy reconstruction process

• Support the recovery and potential publication of his book (Bisaigue), a personal project and potential source of income

• (Rebuild his workshop and replace essential professional tools)

• Restore what is possible of his personal library

Every contribution will provide tangible support to a man who has dedicated his life to building, creating, and enriching himself intellectually, while giving him security and dignity during this difficult time.

WhatsApp: https://wa.me/33629726182

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonicarla

How he is now doing, in Sri Lanka, at the Ayurvedic centre.

How he arrived in Sri Lanka.

the main house.

the main house.

the front side of the main house after the fire.

Firemen.

The ruins of the extension plus the main house.

the main house and the ruins of the extension.

Firemen

Picked him up in a worrying state at the airport, after he spent a week in the UK at my sister’s place right after the fire.

Firemen intervening.

the neighbour's house.

Ruins of the extension and the main house in the back.

the extension (workshop) and the car.

the extension (workshop) and the car.

the extension (workshop) and the car.

The frontdoor after the firemen's intervention.

Poppyseed cake in Paris..

Ruins of the extension and the neighbour's house.

Two weeks after the event, in Paris.

In Paris, with his new IPad.

Some time in Paris.

the state of his office/library after fire.

Firemen

The woodstock for winter stored in front of the extension (before the fire).

The woodstock for winter stored in front of the extension (before the fire).

The woodstock for winter stored in front of the extension (before the fire).

the extension/workshop, looking good before the fire.

Inside the workshop.

Before.

Before.

the top of the workshop before the fire, that was meant one day to become the extension of the main house.

the office/library, before the fire.

At the Ayurvedic centre.

Before

Before.

Some of his staircase work, in the neighbour's house.

idem.

An insight of his carpentry work.

His workshop/extension.