Call me, when you need me, not if, I'm there. Traci
[Edited 10/13/05 7:34am]

With Applekisses afk for a bit, I'll fill you in on what's been happening. I traveled up to the house Thursday to see for myself. It was a shock since I have only seen what the house and garage looks like when there was no fire.

I'm not going to say it's as bad as it looks, but I'll paint you all a picture (before my pix are developed and uploaded). The garage is toast. I guess by the looks of it the fire was started in or near the garage, which is made of metal and wood. The left side of the garage is totally gone and the right side has a few charged poles and planks and such. From my guesstimate, since I was not there, the flames must have moved forward and caught the back of the house on fire.

The garage is not attached but is close to the house and all of the houses in the row are close/packed in on the street. A minivan was parked near the garage and caught on fire. Apples says the minivan did not explode but did catch fire. It has since been removed. The family that lived in the lower flat had three minivans, which struck me weird since the husband has one, the wife, or estranged wife has one, and there was this extra minivan just sitting in the back near the garage. All of their four kids are no more older than 7 years of age. You do the math.

Fire investigators were still on the scene processing certain areas and keyed on a certain area and some "items" by something. Bags were filled to be processed for forensics and such. I gave them both a statement and I guess the fire dept. and police dept. will be in contact with me. The case has not been solved yet.

Thursday was the first day the house was opened up for applekisses and myself -- and the downstairs crazy lady -- to collect stuff and haul it away.

We had masks and purple surgical latex gloves and flashlights because the house was boarded up. Immediately walking up the stoop to the stairwell it hit me -- the stench. The vile stentch. I coughed as the stentch hit my lungs. Most of you, I would suspect have started a campfire or a fire in the fireplace. You know if you sit too close your clothes will smell. Well, take that smell and kick it up to 100. It was that bad.

Me and apples surveyed the upstairs and broken glass was strewn everwhere. I had just been in the house less than two weeks prior to visit her one night and treat her to a Harry Connick Jr-Branford Marsalis jazz gig at The Max, so it was still hard to fathom that her upstairs living quarters was now all blackened and gray with soot with insulation everywhere.

The upstairs did not look so bad, but it was bad enough. A third-full coffee cup lay motionless on the dining room table next to a table decoration. VCR and TV and DVD remotes lay on the coffee table next to some paperwork/bills and plants. It seemed normal, but everything was covered and the room was no longer a bright and cheerful white.

The attic was spared!!!!!

From what I could tell everything was spared -- even the Prince VHS tapes and other stuff we kept up there. I could care less but that is replaceable. It was our storage area. The computer seemed okay and the TVs seemed okay, just covered in soot.

We hastily removed a lot of clothes from the bedroom, which is now unrecognizable. The air conditioner lay cocked on its side next to the mattresses and strewn bedding and clothes and wood planks from the ceiling/attic.

Me, Apples and a handful of others will be back at the house on Saturday to really clean and remove everything that we can. But a lot of the stuff she has will have a perpetual smokey smell that might never go away.

I wonder how you can clean DVDs and DVD packages and steroes and TVs and picture frames and the like so they don't smell like ugly chocky smoke?

The landlord is severly upset and once this fire investigation is finally concluded, I have a feeling the landlord will sue the downstairs family for doing this to his property. The fire investigators I spoke with say the house can be repaired, not demolished.

But unfortunately Applekisses will have finally moved on.

The funny thing was that Applekisses was chatting with Byron online while looking for her new apartment. She has had plans to move in 2005. She was apartment searching and chatting with Byron. She was in the back of the house, sort of, where the fire reached the house, and luckily she got out in time. Unfortunately now, the fire last Sunday excellerated her plans immensely.

The crazy lady and her brother, not her husband, came to the house to remove stuff. They were ill prepared as they came in open-toed sandals, no gloves, and no masks. I'm not a doctor or a fireman but I understand the caked-on smoke and soot mixed in with God knows what chemicals in the house CAN NOT do a body good. Since me and apples have our suspicions on who or what caused the fire, the crazy lady got a lot of evil eyes from both of us. We have a strong feeling that she is the center of this madness that happened Sunday. It either started or ended with her. I asked her if she had the courtesy to go upstairs, ring the doorbell, bang on the hallway walls, ANYTHING, to get Applekisses attention when the fire started. Know what she said?

The crazy lady showed me a picture of her oldest child, the 7-year-old, on her keychain, said she saw the fire first and called to her mother. The crazy lady and children proceeded to scream and run out of the house. She then told me to ask Applekisses how she got out, because, well, she got out of the burning building, right?

There is a severe lack of communication with this woman or she is not telling me and Apples what we need to hear. Whatever the case, it will be resolved soon.

More Saturday ...
[Edited 10/13/05 23:07pm]

Oh man...I feel so bad for her. She doesn't deserve any of this.

Yeah I know. At least she's safe.. that's what matters the most.

Sorry to hear that hun ...glad u and the cats are safe

Oh god! Do you need any help?

I am so glad you are safe!

I've never been in a house fire, but my mom was a few years back and I know how devastating it can be. If you need anything, let me know, please. I'm not far from you (Waterford). Really... anything. Even and extra hand going through things... I have an Explorer if you need an extra vehicle to remove things. I'll note you my phone number.

As for removing the smoke smell from items... from the experience with my mom... the only items we were able to remove the odor from, permanently, were glass items. Everything else, even if it wasn't burned from the fire, had to be thrown out due to heavy smoke damage. The bed, bedding, clothing, anything plastic or wooden, couch, chair, etc. It all had to be replaced.

Immediately go to the Salvation Army or call them. There was a fire in my complex, earlier in the year, and the Salvation Army gave out vouchers to the people in that building to purchase items they needed. My friend was given vouchers to use at Meijer for food and other items, as well as vouchers for Target and some other store (can't remember) to replace furniture that was ruined. She, unfortunately, didn't carry renters insurance.

Hang in there, Apples!


.
[Edited 10/14/05 7:54am]

this last place was the first time i have ever carried renter's insurance...

i had never thought about that lingering smoke smell...
that would be hard to see all your stuff looking fine but ruined because it reeks

all love and positive thoughts to you on this new beginning apples

*update! i have been informed that there is an industrial product called clean air gel that will suck the smoke smell from your stuff
[Edited 10/14/05 20:17pm]

I'm happy to hear you're doing okay. I can't even imagine.


M

Thanks guys
I'm at my sister's house checking e-mail and stuff...I'm glad A2 is keeping you all posted on what's happening. He and Case along with more friends and family came to help today...we cleared out most of my things and put them in a storage facility until I move to a new place. It's such a mess. I had pics developed yesterday and will scan them in next week so you all can see.

This is just insanity. I thank God for all of the help and love that is being sent my way...I really need it and it's been there.
Thanks to all of you for your prayers and offers of help...also, emm...I'm going to look for that gel stuff. It'd be a good thing to keep in my storage facility.
I'm supposed to talk with the police on Monday...so there will be more to tell then.
you all!!!

I really understand your loss. My house was burned down when I was 14. It was soo hard on my folks and they still are piled in debt from it and it was 15 years ago. You're in my prayers.

Yeah, echoing applekisses, the house upstairs is not as bad as it looks. Initially thought bad because of what was said last weekend. Gone is the bed and bedframe, all the cushions and pillows, stuff like that. The clothes were spared, financial documents, photos, family historical and personal stuff.

In taking a look at the house, the back of the house, it seems the fire was split in two and just keyed on the right side of the back side of the house. The left side of the back side of the house looked untouched, although the firemen had to punch out the windows to let the smoke escape. The attic was spared -- some smoke damage but little else -- and the cinder block basement looked very normal and smelled like the basement. There was no ash or soot in the basement and we are thankful because, as we all know, smoke rises.

As of early Monday morning, Oct. 17, the upstairs is about 90% complete in removal and in storage. Just some odds and ends to take care of. The place is pretty littered now with the remnants of the fire mixed in with all of the hastily boxed "life" of applekisses.

The downstairs, though, the first floor, is another story. The fire torched the kitchen and major smoke damage throughout the first floor. It looked liked hell opened up and said hello, which it did.

The strange thing is that the downstairs family's wife and brother removed all of their belongings, which was not much, on Thursday afternoon. To this day they have not come back to the house, which is fishy. Of course they had little to take because the first floor looked sick. They did not have a lot of "stuff" for a family of six as well. On the other hand, Applekisses, myself, Case, and family and friends went back and forth and back and forth to remove all that we could remove. All upstairs was her life, her history.

It us just amazing how many people nowadays can be so selfish and wishy-washy and put on this do-not-care-about-you-tough-shit-except-for-me-and-my-family attitude.

The mother of the family truly feels she is the victim in all of this, when in fact, everyone suffered. But when you look at the fire and the cause (which should be resolved soon, I hope, this week) Applekisses suffered much more because she was in innocent bystander in all of this. But the mother of the family does not understand it. When I saw the woman on Thursday she showed no emotion.

This whole insane mess started downstairs, not upstairs. I am positive everything will fall in its right place legally and judiciously. Applekisses says she thanks God that she was spared, and she was, for the majority. The downstairs family though, had little to show for it after the fire.

Something does not add up right in all of this. The chapters have been written, the climax was been presented, and the resolution shall make its face known any minute now.

applekisses said:

Good luck sweety.


M

Latest update on the Oct. 9 fire at Applekisses' place.

Talked to the police dept. - a detective investigating the case. He says nothing official but they are learning toward arson as the cause of the garage catching on fire, and accidental as the cause of the back of the house catching fire, Seems logical.

Apples talked more with the cops and found out there is another "female" in all of this and according to the woman downstairs, this other "female" and the woman below got into a fight/argument and that is why the downstairs lady called the cops.

But the police now say they are believing that the woman is making that story up and they are having a hard time believing her.

The investigation continues ...

emm said:

Aww...
Thanks, sweetie

a2grafix said:

If the house catching fire is deemed to be accidental, then you might be able to put a claim against your landlord's insurance for living expenses. Certainly something to look into. They won't offer it unless you ask. Keep your reciepts for food, utilities, board you pay your Mother, gas used looking for a new apartment, ect. You might be reimbursed for some of it . Hope this helps.

shellyevon said:

That's great!! I'm going to look into it. I'll call my insurance company to see what they think.

applekisses said:

Damn sweetness, sorry to hear about this. I'm so glad the kitties and titties are fine. Keep your head up, good luck.
[Edited 10/19/05 10:40am]

good god! I'm glad you and your kitties are ok. I hope and pray you will get past this with out any long term issues from it...so traumatic!
and god bless that womens children...they need it.

Thanks guys...

It's been a rough 10 days (I can't believe that much time has gone by)

Anybody who would like, and is able, to help Apples out, click here.

Pics are at the top...I hope you guys can see them...my work is blocking them!

applekisses said:

Fixed the red Xs for ya babe

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Thanks...cause I can't see them anyway... My work is blocking the pics...

applekisses said:

well I'm not getting the Xs, I'm getting the pics. Hopefully they'll be visible for everyone else I'm so sorry this happened to you but you are alive and your pets are safe and that is what is important here. Love you

Sending you an OrgNote right now.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Yes, I know you're right. It could have been MUCH worse...MUCH, MUCH worse...
And I love you too

as i understand it applekisses, you were the one to call in the fire.
so how did you first notice it?? smoke outside or in your apartment?