Life After the Fire Part II

Last night, we met the Temple family from Stockton Springs, who are putting their lives back together after a house fire.

They and other families are initially helped on that journey by the local chapter of the Red Cross, which responds immediately, 24 hours a day, when fires break out.

Last year was their busiest ever.

One hundred and fifty times last year, folks with the Pine Tree Chapter of the Red Cross met with families after house fires.

They arrive on the scene as soon as they're notified, sometimes before the fire is even out.

"When you walk up to a scene and you see that family, you introduce yourself...and you basically say I'm sorry for your loss. Because that's what it is. It's a loss of what they feel is their life, their livelihood. A home is so personal," says Gretchen O'Grady.

The Pine Tree chapter covers seven counties, from Aroostook to Knox. Gretchen O'Grady is their emergency services director.

Their mission is to help fire victims through those first few days, but O'Grady says the conversation is never easy. There's often hopelessness, or anger.

"They're in shock. They're standing there, watching their home burn down, all their belongings go. They may have a pet that they've lost inside. There may even be injuries or death of a family member," she says.

If the family has nowhere to go that night, the Red Cross finds them a hotel. They provide a debit card with money for food and clothes, or to help replace medications. They also offer free disaster mental health counseling, and if needed, can put people in touch with other agencies that can help.

"Even though we're providing those basics, like a toothbrush or a few dollars to buy some pajamas and some underwear, a lot of times it's the fact they have somebody they can talk to and bounce some questions off of, and just that we're there," she says.

The State Fire Marshal's office says last year, house fires were responsible for 14 deaths, and property damage totaling more than 31 million dollars.

O'Grady says it was the biggest year they've seen in their 90 year history.

She says it often takes fire victims 12 to 18 months or more to find a new permanent living situation.

"Many of our fire victims have to start with a new security deposit, first month's rent and last month's rent. And after a fire, where are they going to come up with that?"

The Red Cross was there when the Temple family of Stockton Springs lost their home and everything in it to fire in January.

A landlord gave them a deal that helped them move into a new place in just a few days, and Jay and Leanne say it's support from all around the community that's helped them start to move on.

"There wasn't a day that went by probably for a month where people, even some I might have known them but not well, were coming up asking, is there anything you need," Jay says.

"It's amazing, and we're hoping to be able to return the favor for other people. Because it's so gratifying to live somewhere where people actually care about each other. Even if they don't know you they care about you," Leanne says.

O'Grady says it's that kind of support that allows the Red Cross to keep responding to local disasters like house fires.

The Pine Tree Chapter is entirely funded by donors from the community. She says that includes many former fire victims, who've gotten to a place where they can give back to help others through those first few days.

"We don't solve the problems. We're certainly not going to make the fire or the loss of belongings go away," she says. "But it's just sort of that immediate relief that we give, so they can think about what am I going to do next."

You can find out more about the Pine Tree chapter of the Red Cross online.