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Displaced deaf couple glad no one was hurt in fire that destroyed duplex | greatfallstribune.com | Great Falls Tribune
A fire that broke out in a duplex on the east end of town a week ago Friday has left four people homeless, but not hopeless, as they head into the holiday season.
Jamie Freeman and her 10-year-old daughter Kamryn had just moved into a duplex a month ago next door to Bob and Liz Ellesch at 819 38th St. S. The Ellesches, both of whom are deaf, had called their side of the duplex home for seven years.
"It was so homey and very sweet," Liz Ellesch said Friday afternoon, using sign language translated by their daughter, Kristina Estep, who flew in from Seattle to help her parents.
After searching for an apartment for months, Freeman said she and her daughter finally chose the apartment because it had recently been remodeled and was exactly what they were looking for.
But on Friday, Dec. 3, Kamryn went downstairs to retrieve stuff out of the basement and noticed smoke. The lights in their apartment had started to flicker, so Jamie Freeman went downstairs to see what was going on and noticed more smoke.
They called 9-1-1 and then began hitting on the windows and doors of their neighbor's apartment, trying to let the Ellesches know there was a fire.
"Neither of their cars were there," Freeman said. "I could feel their door was hot."
The fire started in the basement of the Ellesches' apartment and was caused by combustible material left next to the furnace, according to the Great Falls fire marshal.
Liz Ellesch works as a cottage attendant at the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind and had taken her students down to the Christmas Stroll. Bob Ellesch came home from work about 5 p.m., changed his clothes and went downtown to meet his wife. He works in vocational rehabilitation for the Department of Health and Human Services.
After the stroll, Liz went back to work and Bob headed home. He rounded the corner of Central Avenue and 38th Street and noticed a lot of flashing lights toward 10th Avenue South.
"I thought there was a bad accident," he said.
As his car got closer and he saw smoke, Bob Ellesch said he thought one of his neighbor's houses was on fire. Then he realized it was their duplex.
Ellesch said he was in denial at first, but then felt what he described as an angelic calm. He went to MSDB and picked up his wife and they came back to the house.
"There was just smoke everywhere," Liz Ellesch said.
Neither the Elleschs nor Freemans knew what the extent of the fire would be. What they did know is that neighbors were bringing them cookies and coffee and offering them anything they could.
"There's been an outpouring from people in our neighborhood," Jamie Freeman said.
Even the landlord of the duplex has been helpful, taking the Ellesches in for the first night and offering to help Freeman with anything they can.
What they learned after the first long night was that the Ellesches' place was completely destroyed and they had lost their Siamese cat, King. There was no longer a floor in the main level of the apartment.
The Freemans' apartment was left primarily unharmed, but it was heavily damaged by smoke, making it uninhabitable. They did lose some items in the basement, but they will be able to salvage most items on the main level of their apartment, after they are cleaned for smoke damage. Kamryn was excited their cockatiel Cracker survived.
"I was relieved," Jamie Freeman said. "I saw the devastation of the Elleschs. We could have lost everything."
The American Red Cross of Montana helped the Freemans stay in the Townhouse Inn for a few nights. The Ellesches were able to get clothing from the agency and also were put up at the La Quinta Inn.
Now, though, is when their hope has to kick in.
Jamie and Kamryn will be staying with Jamie's mother here until they can find a new place to rent.
Though she's grateful to be staying at the Townhouse Inn, Kamryn said it's a disruption for her, even though she has been able to go swimming.
"It feels weird, especially on a school night," Kamryn said. "It's different. It's not what I'm used to."
The Ellesches had renter's insurance, but it was a bare-minimum policy.
Liz Ellesch was set to retire from MSDB next week and was looking forward to painting and sorting years of photos stored in her basement. Now that is all gone, along with the laptops they used to communicate with each other and their family.
The couple will continue to stay at the La Quinta Inn for the next two weeks. Then they will spend two weeks in Seattle for Christmas. An account has been set up at Wells Fargo in their name, but right now, they just need to breathe.
"I'm still just trying to slow my mind down," Bob Ellesch said. "I'm just tired of thinking."
Freeman said she hopes to find a rental in the area of town where they were living because Kamryn attends Mountain View Elementary. But she said the school has been great about working out a bus route change so Kamryn doesn't have to change schools in the middle of all the uncertainty.
The Ellesches said they are glad to have their lives. Typically, when Bob Ellesch comes home from work he takes a nap while Liz continues to work at MSDB.
"Thank God for the Christmas Stroll," their daughter said Friday.
Bob Ellesch can't imagine what would have happened had he taken a nap that evening while a fire raged in his basement.
"I take a big breath and realize I have my life," he said. "Everyone has a book of life. This is just one chapter of my life."
A fire that broke out in a duplex on the east end of town a week ago Friday has left four people homeless, but not hopeless, as they head into the holiday season.
Jamie Freeman and her 10-year-old daughter Kamryn had just moved into a duplex a month ago next door to Bob and Liz Ellesch at 819 38th St. S. The Ellesches, both of whom are deaf, had called their side of the duplex home for seven years.
"It was so homey and very sweet," Liz Ellesch said Friday afternoon, using sign language translated by their daughter, Kristina Estep, who flew in from Seattle to help her parents.
After searching for an apartment for months, Freeman said she and her daughter finally chose the apartment because it had recently been remodeled and was exactly what they were looking for.
But on Friday, Dec. 3, Kamryn went downstairs to retrieve stuff out of the basement and noticed smoke. The lights in their apartment had started to flicker, so Jamie Freeman went downstairs to see what was going on and noticed more smoke.
They called 9-1-1 and then began hitting on the windows and doors of their neighbor's apartment, trying to let the Ellesches know there was a fire.
"Neither of their cars were there," Freeman said. "I could feel their door was hot."
The fire started in the basement of the Ellesches' apartment and was caused by combustible material left next to the furnace, according to the Great Falls fire marshal.
Liz Ellesch works as a cottage attendant at the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind and had taken her students down to the Christmas Stroll. Bob Ellesch came home from work about 5 p.m., changed his clothes and went downtown to meet his wife. He works in vocational rehabilitation for the Department of Health and Human Services.
After the stroll, Liz went back to work and Bob headed home. He rounded the corner of Central Avenue and 38th Street and noticed a lot of flashing lights toward 10th Avenue South.
"I thought there was a bad accident," he said.
As his car got closer and he saw smoke, Bob Ellesch said he thought one of his neighbor's houses was on fire. Then he realized it was their duplex.
Ellesch said he was in denial at first, but then felt what he described as an angelic calm. He went to MSDB and picked up his wife and they came back to the house.
"There was just smoke everywhere," Liz Ellesch said.
Neither the Elleschs nor Freemans knew what the extent of the fire would be. What they did know is that neighbors were bringing them cookies and coffee and offering them anything they could.
"There's been an outpouring from people in our neighborhood," Jamie Freeman said.
Even the landlord of the duplex has been helpful, taking the Ellesches in for the first night and offering to help Freeman with anything they can.
What they learned after the first long night was that the Ellesches' place was completely destroyed and they had lost their Siamese cat, King. There was no longer a floor in the main level of the apartment.
The Freemans' apartment was left primarily unharmed, but it was heavily damaged by smoke, making it uninhabitable. They did lose some items in the basement, but they will be able to salvage most items on the main level of their apartment, after they are cleaned for smoke damage. Kamryn was excited their cockatiel Cracker survived.
"I was relieved," Jamie Freeman said. "I saw the devastation of the Elleschs. We could have lost everything."
The American Red Cross of Montana helped the Freemans stay in the Townhouse Inn for a few nights. The Ellesches were able to get clothing from the agency and also were put up at the La Quinta Inn.
Now, though, is when their hope has to kick in.
Jamie and Kamryn will be staying with Jamie's mother here until they can find a new place to rent.
Though she's grateful to be staying at the Townhouse Inn, Kamryn said it's a disruption for her, even though she has been able to go swimming.
"It feels weird, especially on a school night," Kamryn said. "It's different. It's not what I'm used to."
The Ellesches had renter's insurance, but it was a bare-minimum policy.
Liz Ellesch was set to retire from MSDB next week and was looking forward to painting and sorting years of photos stored in her basement. Now that is all gone, along with the laptops they used to communicate with each other and their family.
The couple will continue to stay at the La Quinta Inn for the next two weeks. Then they will spend two weeks in Seattle for Christmas. An account has been set up at Wells Fargo in their name, but right now, they just need to breathe.
"I'm still just trying to slow my mind down," Bob Ellesch said. "I'm just tired of thinking."
Freeman said she hopes to find a rental in the area of town where they were living because Kamryn attends Mountain View Elementary. But she said the school has been great about working out a bus route change so Kamryn doesn't have to change schools in the middle of all the uncertainty.
The Ellesches said they are glad to have their lives. Typically, when Bob Ellesch comes home from work he takes a nap while Liz continues to work at MSDB.
"Thank God for the Christmas Stroll," their daughter said Friday.
Bob Ellesch can't imagine what would have happened had he taken a nap that evening while a fire raged in his basement.
"I take a big breath and realize I have my life," he said. "Everyone has a book of life. This is just one chapter of my life."