Rebuilding after a house fire is an entire emotional journey from flames to a new home. Here’s how we’re turning ashes into a forever home.
The Fire That Took Everything
One night in January, all was calm and cool in Atlanta, as the new year set its course. That is, until an electrical fire sparked–and quickly engulfed this family’s home in flames. There in the middle of the night, the barefoot, Berkenkamp family of five rushed out of the home and escaped with nothing but their pajamas, and each other. Two-year-old Jack, wrapped in a coat, stared at their burning home, surrounded by his 2 brothers and parents as firefighters hurried to the scene.
Everything was gone.
How We Found Them
While on vacation in St. Lucia, I came across an Instagram post from Lisa, the mother, shared by our mutual dog breeder. It hit me hard–fires speak to me differently than most people. Having lost my own grandmother to a fire in 1992, I asked the breeder if she wouldn’t mind sharing Lisa’s contact information with me so I could help.
“I’m no ambulance chaser, but here’s my history with fires,” I texted Lisa.
So I told her about the rebuild I did back in 2019, taking a place from ashes to a new home, and added, “if there’s any way that I can assist you guys, just the logistics of how to do it, what needs to be done, any part of it, reach out.”
That one text turned into the rebuild that’s happening today…
The Community Rallies
Still wrapping their heads around the loss of their home, we met the family in early February to sort out logistics like finding rentals, managing donations, and dealing with the shock of starting over from complete scratch.
But one light that stood out in the darkness was their incredible neighborhood. In a place where the neighbors look out for each other, the community rallied, donating clothes, contributing to the GoFundMe, and gave away so many toys that to this day, the family hasn’t had to buy a single new one.
What a great group of friends.
Saying Goodbye
Demo day was emotional. Saying goodbye to the home where memories were made is never easy. But I thought—how can we make this moment meaningful… even fun?
Henry, 7-year-old and oldest of the 3 boys (also known as the hero who woke everyone up), got to take the first whack at the house by knocking down his bedroom wall, while Freddy 4 years old (he’s 5 now!) climbed aboard the tractor and tore down the chimney with our demo guy. And what little boy doesn’t love big equipment? If there was a prize for “best spring break story,” these kids would’ve won…
Closure in loss is important to healing. And as that old house came down, a new one began to rise…
The Rebuild Starts
The original house was not only heartbreaking for the family, it had become an eyesore for the neighborhood. But now, neighbors love seeing the new one take shape. At the time of writing this, construction is now underway, and we’ve just finished framing the house!
Two job site cameras have been set up, and I usually never give our clients the password to the cameras. But I figured, “why not?” Come to find out, the family’s been watching eagerly as their home rises from the ashes—so eagerly, that I got a text saying I ran out of our data plan early. I guess their new home construction has been their latest T.V. marathon!
Can’t say I blame them…
One thing we’re currently doing is turning their old unused garage slab into a backyard basketball court for the boys to safely play on their corner lot! Now we’re starting to make decisions about what the exterior is going to look like, and then starting the plan for picking out tile and countertop and all that kind of fun stuff.
Stay Tuned
While change in life is inevitable, we’re determined to make this one for the better. Even though we’re experiencing rain delays over here, mother nature can’t stop this inevitable transformation. Follow our social media pages to stay updated with this rebuild, and most importantly, the end result!
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