In the early morning hours of May 27, 2007, our daughter Mary Kay was awakened to the blaring of smoke detectors where she was asleep in her bedroom with the door closed and the air conditioner running. She opened her bedroom door and saw flames in the living room at the other end of the house. She grabbed her phone, dialed 911 and reported the fire. She then dialed our house to make us aware as in the other hand she turned on the hose in the back yard and sprayed water on the fire to try to prevent a gas grill from exploding on the back deck.
(http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/albums/mkrfire_070527/DSC_2085.sized.jpg)
Our Fairfax Firemen arrived very quickly - In error she had given them our address instead of hers, but there was not a problem spotting where the fire was. For those of you who have pets, you can understand that she was very concerned about her two cats shown below. Jasmin on the right was the first one to be removed from the fire, while firemen worked to get Maxine on the left out of the house. Don't know which fireman actually got her, but it was with great relief that Mary Kay took Maxine from the fireman's arms. These guys are truly a very thoughtful and understanding group of men & women.
(http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/albums/forum_photos/2007_11_15_093.sized.jpg)
Friends from all around arrived bright and early the morning of May 27, 2007 to help salvage what they could. Some went down to J & L and got black plastic to cover the roof to prevent further damage by weather since the back of the house had many holes in the roof from the fire. Being a single young lady she had many decisions to make, while still having a full time job. Although it was difficult for her to leave Fairfax, she has been living with a friend down in Essex during this time, still making many trips to Fairfax to oversee her demolition of the burned out home and building of the new home. Although it will not be complete, she will be doing the necessary things to make it eligible for occupancy as soon as possible as the place she is staying at will be sold and she has to be out by March 1st. She needs good cell phone reception for her work and although we are only about 100 feet away, we lack that at our house. Maxine & Jasmin will not be moving back to their home for a while until her house is finished, but meanwhile they are living a rather comfortable life with Maryann and I.
Below is the house as it looks today, in case you haven't driving by recently.
(http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/albums/forum_photos/2008_02_09_002.sized.jpg)