Bushnell House Fire

It’s been three weeks minus two days since I woke up to Chatham’s tones going off for a structure fire on Hudson Ave., and as I was thinking ‘that’s near the cast house, maybe I better go down just in case the kids get nervous’ and as I started to get dressed, it changed to corner of Bushnell and Hudson, house on the left, which was closer but still not and then changed to ‘house on the right’ and I can’t even describe – or remember – all of what went through my mind. I know that the phrase ‘scared the shit out of me’ is a descriptive one, and I know that hard as you try you cannot put on pants and a shirt at the same time, but you can come close. I know that Matt calling me to say they were all out was indescribable relief ‘that’s what I wanted to hear, I’ll be there in a couple of minutes’.
As the previous post says, there’s no found cause. A few thoughts on maybe if it started here it was this or if it started there it was that, but can’t put an exact answer to that. Probably just as well, because I’d hate to think that it was something any one person did, for their sake and ours.
The community overall (the expanded MHT community) has been wonderfully supportive. Neighbors gave the kids blankets to wrap up in; they got out in their bvd’s and nighties. Before the fire trucks were gone people made offers for housing, and there were bags of clothes spread out on the hood of my car.
Besides the ‘fire chasing’ news reporters and items, we were on radio to give a plea for help. Jesse did a masterful job with media relations.
Monica came over and took charge of the kids, driving back and forth to other cast houses, bringing them back when the Red Cross got there to give out vouchers (say what you want about the organization, they were there when we needed them) for food and clothing, the County Fire Chief’s Association gave vouchers for purchases at WalMart (ps, both the Red Cross and Walmart vouchers got screwed up but straightened out fairly quickly).
I’d told the kids if they wanted to go to Ace Hardware and get clothes they could in the morning and put it on my tab, well they went at about 4:30 in the morning, one of the firemen standing by at Chatham station called and Frank (who had brought the gator to the fire) went up to open the store and let them get things.
Can’t even mention all the people who helped, from a little boy who brought $100 of his own saved up money to donate, to a long time friend of my family who donated a sizeable check ‘in memory of Ed and Marian Peduzzi’.
The kids are recovering, they’ve gotten so much in clothes, stuff, money, gift cards that the rest of the company is a bit jealous. Won’t make up for favorite things lost, I know, but they are all grateful for knowing the generosity they’ve received.
The house is totaled and we’re waiting for estimates to demolish it, and starting to think about what to do to replace it. Real glad it didn’t get into the attached barn full of props and sets, that would have been a whole different story. Not sure what stopped it but glad it did.
Many things were salvaged, including the other day on a last foray through, Brian’s glasses, ipod, phone and notebook; some electronics even still work.
Many thanks to the Powers That Be for the smoke alarms going off and waking them up. Many thanks to all who have helped.
Never want a night like that one again, if you please.