Smelling Smoke

7/18/2019 (Permalink)

A local house fire in New Port Richey caused by an electrical malfunction inside the home.

It was an early, average Tuesday morning. Rolling out of bed, sleep still hanging over me, I make my way downstairs to make my coffee. As my pot is brewing, I gather my things in the home office ready to get a jump start on my work for the day. Finally, with coffee in my hand, I walk across the room to crack a window for some fresh air.

Ready to be greeted with the sound of birds, a nice breeze, maybe even the smell of my freshly bloomed flowers sitting right outside the screen of my window. 

Instead, the instant smell of smoke fills my nose and a pit forms in my stomach. Being abruptly awakened by the realization that this thick, very pungent smoke seems to be coming from a fire very, very close. Nearly spilling coffee all over me, I hustle out the front door, through my Port Richey neighborhood to find exactly what I wished wouldn’t be happening. A house a street over was in massive flames. 

When your family’s business is to clean up from disasters like this, fire becomes a regular occurrence for you. My family has been incredibly lucky enough to not have this type of event affect us directly, but we have shed tears countless times with families who have faced destruction due to fire. However, even more times have we cried alongside families as they see the work our company has done for them.

Unfortunately, that Tuesday no human lives were lost but that does not mean there was no pain in that day. All possessions, memories, and two dogs were lost in that fire, and there are no words that can be said to lessen the pain of a loss like that.

Before that morning I had been around homes damaged because of a fire, the difference is that I have looked at physical damage after the fire, counted what was lost, and how to restore a family’s home. What changed that day is my perspective. After experiencing that first-hand moment of what leads up to a client calling SERVPRO of Wesley Chapel, my eyes have been forever opened to the emotional stressors a fire can cause. Stressors that last years, or even a lifetime.

Ours neighbor’s home being lost in that fire was unpreventable as it was caused by an electrical malfunction. Situations like that one can happened at any time and while we may not be able to plan, we can prepare. As much as I wish I didn’t wake up and smell smoke that day, and of course my neighbors feel the same, it was definitely an eye-opening experience that I will never forget. I have gained a better understanding of how to give our clients service, service with empathy and compassion.