Kyndra and Jaems: Starting over after a fire

Dear friends and family,

As many of you know, the Twin City apartment of my daughter Kyndra and her husband, Jaems went up in flames on the evening of Sept. 24. The fire appears to have started when the downstairs neighbor grilled outside, then left a bag of briquets too close to the hot coals.

Kyndra said, “Our apartment is immediately above theirs. We arrived home as the fire was getting started and Jaems was below trying to put it out as I dropped gallon jugs of water off the balcony down to him. Jaems attempted to pull the burning briquette bag away from the building, but the growing fire prevented him from doing so. At that point, the left side of our deck was on fire and it was too late. People were screaming at me to get out. I tried to locate our cats, but the smoke was too thick, so I ran out. Jaems saw me running around the building toward him and he asked where the cats were. He was shocked when I said I did not have them and he ran in to try to find them but the smoke was even thicker and he couldn’t re-enter the apartment.”

Thankfully Kyndra and Jaems were able to get out and no humans were injured, but tragically their darling cats, Coraline and Wednesday, perished in the apartment.

When Kyndra and Jaems were finally able to enter their apartment the next day, the devastation was overwhelming. The fire destroyed their furnished balcony, then entered the living room and kitchen, burning and melting furniture, electronics, appliances, a guitar, art, wedding gifts, years of memories, and much more in those two rooms. Other rooms and belongings were damaged or ruined by the smoke and water. It is all far worse than they imagined. Kyndra hopes to recover some clothing and a couple of dressers, but little else appears salvageable.

Kyndra and Jaems are very fortunate in that they have each other and jobs, but now they are homeless and with few belongings. Luckily their brother Micah lives nearby and can house them while they figure out their next step.

Unfortunately, they don’t have renter's insurance, so they are starting from scratch. It is a humbling position to be in, but if you feel inclined to help, it is much appreciated. Even a little bit helps. Equally appreciated is any love and healing energy you can send their way.

Thank you and so much love and appreciation from all of us,

Kyndra, Jaems, Micah, John, and Dana