As many of you saw the news on social media over the weekend, our Heights House caught on fire Friday night.
We found out by a call from our neighbor at 10:30pm, and raced to the scene to find the road blocked off and lined with fire trucks and police cars. Thankfully, no one was inside and no one was injured, and the fire department was able to contain it before it spread to the neighbors. We feel incredibly lucky because it could have been so much worse.
The investigators were able to confirm that it was an electrical fire, and pinpoint the location it started in the ceiling. Our electrician had installed a new panel and shut the power to the house off the week before, so we’re not sure how this happened. He was scheduled to come Tuesday to replace all of the old wiring, so we were just a few days short of preventing it.
We were able to walk through the house that night and it was difficult to get a good look without any light, but the next morning we came back to assess the damage. It’s worse than we thought.
Fortunately, we are insured under a construction policy, but neither of us have been in this situation before and we’ve been hearing horror stories about insurance companies and their policies.
It looks like the house may be a total loss, so at this point we are just hoping they’ll work with us so we can start over from scratch.
After the initial shock wore off, we’ve managed to stay hopeful and positive that everything will work out for the better. In the grand scheme of things, this is just a bump in the road, and it will surely make us stronger.
The hardest part for me is the dissolution of everything we’ve been working on for months—all of the dreaming and planning that went into this home, our very first home together and that we were supposed to start our family in.
We were finally starting to see our hard work pay off and our vision come together, and now it’s gone. We have to start over, and we don’t know how long that will take or what it will look like.
But I know all too well about the beauty that comes from the ashes, and I feel at peace knowing that our silver lining is on the way. We can’t wait to come back better and stronger than before!
We put out a quick vlog update this morning which includes our feelings about everything, plus video of the fire scene and the aftermath:
I’m not sure what this means for the blog and vlog content, but I’ll keep posting and updating you all as we go. You can find me on instagram and facebook where I’ll be posting frequent updates, and more in depth video and vlog episodes on YouTube. I hope you’ll continue to follow along as we begin to put the pieces back together. Thank you all tremendously for your love and support—we’ve felt it from across the world and are incredibly grateful to have so many people who care! Onward we march…
Silvia Kings says
My thoughts are your you Jenna and Lucas, I’m very sorry to know your dream was momentarily interrupted.
Your material house burnt down, but your spiritual home is still up and strong, made of two beautiful souls. Wish you all the strength and support you can get at this difficult moment. Love
Vanessa says
Oh Jenna! How awful, really, and I a so sorry for you both. There will be a grieving period but hopefully glimmers of hope and interest soon. If the insurance company offers you a settlement, just say “hmm thanks,” and get back to them a little later with a higher amount. Maybe get some outside advice on that issue. Good luck!
catherine says
courage! I will continue reading your blog, you are doing a wonderful job
kind regards from France
Denise says
I hope your situation is short lived and you are able to reach a settlement with insurance swiftly. This must be very disappointing to you both however your strength and perseverance will overcome this setback. Hang in there and keep us posted.
helena says
I a devastated for you both. So much planing, work, expectations and dreams, over in a few minutes. So glad no one was hurt and no damage to other properties by the house. Jenna and Luca, you are so special, have so much positive energy, you will come out stronger and better eventually, and I look forward to keep following your trails, anticipating all the wonderful accomplishments you will share with us in the future. Until then, remais strong, have a lot of patience and faith. Better things will be in store for you. This one was not meant to be, and if it had to happen, better now, than later. Best wishes and support. Hope you will post sometimes. I have no Instagram, so this is how I have been following your adventures the past months. Warm regards, Helena
Mary says
You guys are the best. You have such a positive outlook and I know you will get through this. Sending positive vibes your way!
Sandra Pace says
So sorry this happened to you guys. I know you’ll figure it out and that you’ll end up with even better plans for your brand new home. I really hate being negative but I can’t stop from thinking about my neighbors house… They had a fire and the house was completely destroyed (thankfully the family and pets made it out), The insurance company kept fighting them and arguing that it was NOT a total loss which was INSANE. They struggled for an entire year after they finally reached an agreement. I don’t know any of the details. My only point is, remember that you have a huge advantage. You have a massive internet presence and if need be you can use that as leverage 🙂
Beth Q says
I’m so sorry for you and Lucas….I wish you the best. Please continue to keep us updated ..big hugs to you both xo
Dawn says
Oh, so sorry to see this. But you’re right, it will all work out; it always does!
Victoria says
Ugh, that’s really tough. I hope everything gets sorted with the insurance company. Small silver lining that this will make good content (how to work with insurance companies, how to start over etc) but I know that won’t be much consolation.
We were given an eviction notice 6 weeks ago and have just found somewhere to live but moving costs (removals, reference fees, mail redirection) are going to take about £2k, which I absolutely didn’t want to be spending.
Megan says
I am so sorry! I can’t imagine the frustration and disappointment. I hope everything goes smoothly with the insurance and that your new dream home is even better!
Tracey says
Oooh, that’s some really crappy luck. I had an apartment that I was living in burn down on me a long time ago. It really shakes you to the core. It’s gonna be OK though. You will start over and something really amazing will come out of this. So glad you guys weren’t actually living there with your furbaby.
AlisonG says
That video brought tears to my eyes. Praying for you and a speeding good outcome with the insurance company. Bless you both.
Cindy R says
So sorry to hear about the loss of the house, but way to have an optimistic outlook. That positive attitude will help you guys so much. Good luck.
Terri says
So very sorry Jenna & Lucas :'( Prayers for you for favor and wisdom as you navigate the days ahead.