Dispatches from the Hampton Hotel

Update from Linda Dennard

See Pictures below.

First, please be careful around the site. It is natural to want to look. The fire didn’t just happen to us but is also a loss for South Hull. But the infrastructure has been weakened by water even in the few places it was not burned. So best not to go into the yard or the house. Debris removal will begin in the next couple of weeks.

3:10 a.m. January 18, 2024

The Fire

The house burned Jan. 18 at around 3 a.m. Fire department responded within five minutes. Savannah and I got out in time. I was awake and we were sleeping downstairs because of the cold. She in the guest room. Me by the fireplace in the center room on a couch. Both fortunate circumstances and I do feel watched over and protected by a higher power as I struggle with the close call.

Randy hurried down and helped me get Savannah to their house and drove me to get a new ID and complete other tasks to start the process of recovery as the sun rose. He drove Savannah to school where her wonderful teacher, Ms. Jeanette, treated her with special care as did everyone at the New Hope Academy. Chrystal made coffee and soothed my ragged nerves, reassuring Savannah with songs and stories and made us welcome. Pap reminded me of the story of Job. I got out of the house without shoes and Ali lent me slippers. She and Jeff came to the fire to see if they could help. (Jeff bought me shoes and brought them to the hotel later in the week). As the wise old saying goes “a woman with shoes will go places.”

 That night we stayed at Sarah Gay’s ‘peaceful house’ before moving to the hotel. Since then, we have received an enormous amount of help and emotional support from the collective neighborhood and new SHDA officers, which has allowed me to focus on moving forward and allowed Savannah to keep her much valued sense of place and family. Too many good folks to name here. Vinny and Maitri, Dot and Joseph. She continues to go to school but stays with me when she feels the need to be close. Mari Harding has helped by picking her up from school and adding to her sense of normal while I worked to get the insurance claim moving as quickly as possible and seeing to the endless details of recovery.

A Fireman puts out the last of the embers The fire department did a terrific job containing the fire and responded so quickly.

View from the Kitchen. I didn’t think the kitchen could get any messier than it was!

Dining Room: Still standing but heavily damaged by water and smoke. I hope I can save some of the woodwork to put in the new house…but doesn’t seem likely.

After the ‘all clear’

The claims adjuster gave the ‘all clear’ this week to remove what I could from the rubble. With Sarah, Libbi, and their friend Bunky and his pick-up to help, I saved a number of family treasures, now safe in storage. Most of the art was heavily smoke and water damaged but a few very special pieces can be restored. Sarah, Libbi and Deb, persuaded the firemen the day after the fire to let them take Mac’s portrait and the painting over the fireplace both of which can be restored as part of the insurance claim. These small saves are really comforting.

The Cats

We lost one cat, Bella, in the fire. But Lilyrose survived. Ali saw her going into the house and rushed across the street to get her. She spent a night or two under Ali’s bed. For now, she is the office cat at Ali’s realty business.

Hotel Life: Savannah would live in a hotel permanently, I think.  Just the right size and plenty of people to talk to. Today she got a special tour behind the front desk and the manager of the breakfast room has been bringing her grandchildren to work to play with her. She has “coffee” and shares gossip with the hotel staff every morning while I keep an eye as I read the news, fill out forms, and answer emails. More on her adventures in a later dispatch.

Libbi, Sarah and Bunky ready to face the rubble.

Thank Goodness for Insurance

The fire inspectors from Allstate Insurance say the fire may have started in the garage but suspect the exact cause may never be known.  The final report should be issued this week. The upstairs rooms burned quickly, as did the staircase, so they had no access.

They have classified the house as a total loss, meaning they have awarded me the full claim for the value of the home…which means I can rebuild. In the aftermath I considered moving home to Idaho, but this is Savannah’s home, and she is my home, so we’re looking forward to adding a new house to Wilmington Road. The deductibles I must pay are covered by the amazing proceeds from the Go To fund, managed by Sarah. The proceeds will also pay the house deposit-my share of the rental costs. The insurance pays for the rental. Thank you all. South Hull could write a manual on how to help neighbors in these catastrophes.

The car was also a total loss (as you can see above) they have awarded me enough to pay off the lender with a bit left over for a down payment on a new vehicle. So, car shopping soon.

Personal property is also a total loss and the amount awarded is pending, as I finish the inventory. (What is the phrase? “You never know what you’ve got til it’s gone.”) With the help of Libbi, Sarah and their friend Bunky, I was able to save a few precious things…great grandmother’s teapot for one. Barbara kindly put them in storage for me. But everything else is gone. The front rooms downstairs fared a little better, but the smoke and water damage destroyed most things. Deb dug a metal angel she gave me from the garage rubble and let me know the stone bunny in the garden survived.

Interim Housing: Within the next two weeks we should be ‘relocated’ to a house, hopefully nearby. The insurance pays for rental furniture/furnishings.

Timeline and Next Steps

Insurance monies will be disbursed in the next two to three weeks. The insurance company estimates it will take a year to rebuild. Within a week or so we should be in an interim house in the neighborhood or nearby.

The towing company will remove the car by Monday or Tuesday (29-30th). Then I’m free to get a bid on debris removal. Once the bid is in place, money is released, and a time is scheduled, we’ll begin work to clear the lot of debris and rebuild the fence.

All the trees and azaleas survived. The blossoms will be especially welcome this spring. One small magnolia near the little pond on the patio was singed, but not killed. I’ll get a tree person this week to make sure the bigger trees were not destabilized by the water, but they look untouched. Although the gardens in the back and front may expand, I don’t plan to remove any trees unless they are unstable.

In the next week or so I will identify an architect and a general contractor, so as monies are released next month, we will be ready to start rebuilding. I won’t be replacing the second floor. The new house will be energy efficient and make accommodations for Savannah’s needs. As we get through all the initial details, I’ll start working on the gardens and scouring the estate sales for new treasures. Yeah!

Savannah’s Wish is to have a Red Barn built and populated by Christmas.

 Daydreaming. We are having fun daydreaming about the new house…although we may not agree on what form it will take.😂

 I hope you all know how grateful I am for each and every kind thought, prayer, and act of service. It made me laugh that the one document not burnt or water soaked was a copy of the last SHDA agenda. Savannah and I had a good laugh when Libbi sent an email that used the phrase “while they are displaced.” I first read it as ‘misplaced.’  We will keep you posted as to our whereabouts. L

Lily Rose Finds a Sunny Spot at Ali’s Office.

Center Room

Savannah Plays Rolli-Polli on the Hotel Carpet.