'What do you fall back on?': How families, business owners rebuild their lives after fire

Mar. 29—Laura Washington lost everything in July 2012.

Washington arrived home from vacation to her house on Stevens Street completely engulfed in flames. Her brother accidentally started the fire in the kitchen. Although no one was inside the home and in danger, Washington lost everything within her four walls.

At the time, she lived in a duplex in Fall River, and the fire ate up her side of the property right down to the studs. The other side of the duplex had significant smoke damage but was protected by the firewall. The property damage totaled to nearly $80,000.

The most Washington lost from the fire were irreplaceable memories, photos and family heirlooms. Her family lived in a trailer on the property for four months while her home was rebuilt.

"Losing everything is tragic," she said. "One day you wake up and you realize you have nothing, but you come out on the other side grateful for things."

While still in shock, the Red Cross arrived shortly after and sat Washington and her family in the back of a truck, asking what they needed immediately, such as food, clothing and housing. She said the organization even offered money for personal necessities, which she said was helpful but not needed, as she was fortunate to be in a good financial situation.

"A time like that where it's so crazy, it's a sense of security and safety, the calm in the midst of a chaos," Washington said. "You feel safe that someone is looking out for you and cares."

One thing that Washington didn't expect in the middle of a crisis was the flood of builders, insurance companies and appraisers showing up on the front lawn, right in the middle of a crisis. She said these people see disasters as a "money opportunity," handing out business cards while the house is still on fire. In this overwhelming moment, a woman from the Red Cross gently took the family aside and explained who the people were and their presence at the scene, to which Washington was grateful for that reassurance.

"That was much more valuable than giving out donations, being able to answer questions," Washington said.

Washington was fortunate because she had a stable job and homeowners insurance to cover property damage and new furnishings, which she said might not be the case for many others.

"There are very different experiences from those who are established than someone who has nothing," Washington said. "What do you fall back on?"

Bourne Knowles of Fairhaven is also familiar with losing everything after his business burned to the ground.

On Dec. 5, 2012, the family landscaping company suffered a severe fire in the early hours of the morning. Around 6 a.m., Knowles noticed the fire burning through the barn and with the help of his crew was able to remove the equipment. The barn, built in the late-1800s/early-1900s was used previously as a farm cattle building and rather large in size, measuring at about 100-by-100 feet, Knowles said.

Within a matter of moments, the fire quickly spread to the attached office. Knowles quickly grabbed the computer to save the files, but "everything else went."

The four-alarm fire resulted in complete property destruction and temporary relocation to moving the business into the home of the son, G. Bourne Knowles, often referred to as "GB." The cause of the fire was determined to be arson, but no suspects were ever found. The fire burned through the morning, utilizing four fire departments and four hours to extinguish the flames, including GB, an on-call fireman for Fairhaven.

With $1.5 million in property damage, the biggest loss was in memorabilia. The office held the history of the company, awards for safety and other irreplaceable items. He had insurance for all buildings of the business to cover repairs and restorations. Knowles said the safe made it through the fire, however, and still holds the smell of smoke inside.

Over the next two years, while working out of a trailer, Knowles' business was rebuilt. He said the crew never lost a day of work during the process, and even found themselves more business as an outpouring of support from the community.

"It was a matter reaction at that point," Knowles said. "We were in a function mood of, 'How can we keep going?'"

Fall River resident Mark McLoughlin, a volunteer with the Massachusetts Red Cross, has helped residents in the SouthCoast for the past six years and doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon.

McLoughlin holds positions on the Disaster Action Team and the Home Fire Campaign team. As a member of the Disaster Action Team, McLoughlin is the first at the scene, comforting victims as they watch their homes go up in flames. He guides them in the direction to begin their recovery and opens their victim's case with the organization. He said in his role, he provides resources, empathy and guidance to get them back on their feet.

After a fire broke out in Brockton, McLoughlin tended to a family with small children, and even entered the building to gather their belongings. He stuck around for a bit longer than usual to make sure they received the help they needed. About a year and a half later, the family was moving back into their repaired home, and McLoughlin was recognized at a Home Fire Campaign by one of the children, who became his helper for the installation of the smoke detector.

"That resonated with me as a volunteer," McLoughlin said. "We make a strong commitment with the Red Cross, you get the call and just go."

His team responds to fires in the Plymouth and Bristol County areas. He said that the majority of fires are in heavily populated areas, such as Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton and Brockton. McLoughlin himself has helped hundreds of victims during his time as a volunteer.

The help doesn't just end there. McLoughlin passes on his assistance to other volunteers within the Red Cross to help with the rest of the recovery effort.

The Red Cross offers recovery up to 45 days after an event and all the while promotes self-recovery and self-advocacy during the process, according to volunteer Jane Robinson. As a volunteer for nearly 13 years, Robinson has worn many hats within the organization: from filing casework, to performing disaster spiritual care, to organizing youth preparedness.

As a recovery case worker, Robinson follows the initial response to an event. She contacts the victims within 72 hours to see what's the next step.

"You're reaching them at one of the worst times in their lives," Robinson said. "A home fire can turn a person's world upside-down."

Robinson has been working with victims in both the Western and Southeast areas of the state for the past eight years. Her role is to provide comfort, care and concern in immediate disaster and assist in providing information about community resources. She identifies immediate needs, roadblocks and recovery challenges, such as property loss, transportation, child care and work-related needs and then works with referrals.

"When they've lost everything, evacuating into the cold with just the clothes on their back, it is a devastating experience," Robinson said.

Robinson recalls responding to a fire, pre-COVID, where a woman was in shock and shaking. She offered a blanket to the woman and said, "It's going to be OK, the Red Cross is here." The woman said she couldn't believe how much better the blanket made her feel, and she was so grateful.

Robinson said what makes volunteering most rewarding is playing a part in assisting an individual or family to get back on their feet after their entire world has collapsed. She said it's comforting to hear that the Red Cross was there "perhaps when no one else was."

Home fires are the most common disaster to which the Red Cross responds, with on average seven people dying from such cases and 36 people suffering injuries, according to the Home Fire Campaign. Aside from personal health, over $7 billion in property damage occurs every year as a result from home fires.

The mission of the Red Cross is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. The organization is comprised primarily of volunteers and donations. To contribute, visit redcross.org/donate.

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