Family, pets are 'just fine' after fire, flood destroys home

e Sharp family was under one roof Friday when they moved into a temporary home after a fire, followed by water damage, made their home of eight years uninhabitable.

"The important thing is we are all safe," Kevin Sharp said.

On Feb. 8, Jessica Sharp was at work at Deseret Rehab and Care Center and Kevin was home with their three children, 16-year-old Maddison, 14-year-old Kevin and 12-year-old Jacob.

"We were watching 'The Avengers' when Maddison kept hearing a buzzing sound. We thought it was the movie until we paused the TV," the elder Sharp said.

Around the same time they muted the TV, Sharp saw the brick wall on the north end of the room separating and sparks flying. "It looked like someone was welding behind the wall," Sharp said.

"I told the kids to grab a pet and we got the hell out," Sharp said.

As Sharp and his family were fleeing the house he called 911 and his wife.

Sharp said he was impressed with the response time of the Saratoga Volunteer Fire Department. "Those guys are good," Sharp said. They arrived shortly after Jessica.

Sharp said he had no idea the dangers the firefighters faced until he saw them in action. "One fireman had a hose down the chimney when the chimney gave way," Sharp said. "One of the other fireman on the roof grabbed him by the collar to keep him from falling just in time."

Sharp said another fireman was hit by flying debris on the ground.

It would not be the last time he called the fire department that weekend. On Feb. 9, Sharp couldn't sleep and went outside. He could hear water running and when he checked the house, water was coming down from the second floor and sparks were flying everywhere.

The water pipes had burst because of lack of heat. Ryan Grabow, with Black Diamond Electric, told Sharp that the water should have tripped the breakers. Because of the age of the breakers, that did not happen, Grabow explained to Sharp.

This time, the volunteers with the fire department stayed until Carbon Power & Light came out to shut off the electricity to the house.

The firefighters recommended that the family not stay in the home after the fire just in case there was structural damage.

Jessica credits the fire drills the family has practiced for years for the family getting out safely. "The kids thought it was silly when they would practice what to do," Jessica said. "Things went smoother because they knew what to do."

Sharp stayed in a camper at the house while Jessica and their children stayed in a suite at the Hacienda.

The family has three dogs, a cat and a ferret. Two dogs and the cat went to stay with friends in Rawlins who care for the animals when the Sharps are away. Kevin stayed at the camper with the new puppy and the ferret.

The neighbors have been great, Sharp said. Before the fire was out, neighbors were offering beds for the children and have been bringing food to Sharp at the camper.

"People here are amazing," Sharp said. From the children's classmates to the teachers to Jessica's boss at Deseret to the firefighters, Sharp said everyone has been so generous. "We probably have about 800 people to thank," Sharp said.

"Everything is covered 100 percent through insurance," Sharp said. "We want everyone to know we are going to be OK."

After the water pipes broke, the fire department escorted Sharp and Jessica into the home to retrieve family photographs. Fortunately, they were above the water damage, Jessica said.

Sharp said it may be six months before the house is ready to move back into, if it can be saved. Initial reports are that it may not be repairable. "Rory with Custom Builders said it may be a 'demolish and rebuild' job," Sharp said.

Busy weekend for

fire department

The Saratoga Volunteer Fire Department and the Search and Rescue team were in the middle of avalanche training Feb. 7 when they were called out for a search and rescue in the Sierra Madres.

Fire chief Randy Sikes said he had taken two bites of his lunch when he received a fire call Feb. 8 at 12:30 p.m. He and Pat Waliser were the first to reach the fire station. The policy is to never go to a fire alone, Sikes said. It didn't take long for other volunteer firefighters to show up. They responded to the fire at the Sharp home.

Sharp said the wind was blowing and he was impressed with the firemen who fought the wind while on the roof of his three-story home.

It wasn't the first fire they had responded to that day. The fire department responded to a chimney fire at 7:30 a.m., and then responded to another home with an electrical short as they were leaving the Sharp home.

Both the Sharp home and the other home fires were caused by electrical shorts, Sikes said. He recommended people with older homes have their electrical system checked by professional electricians.

Sikes also said chimneys should be cleaned often to avoid chimney fires, and more so if burning greener wood.

Sharps in new home

Wednesday afternoon, the Sharps met with Patty Ramirez and signed the lease for their new home for the next several months. The insurance company is paying for the rental and furniture. Ramirez was working with a furniture company to have the furniture there as early as Thursday.

Young Kevin was excited to have the family under one roof again.

Carbon County Emergency Coordinator John Zeiger visited with the family after the fire. They shared with him how impressed they were with the Saratoga Fire Department. Zeiger said he will be working with the Saratoga Police Department to work on a voucher program when a fire displaces a family. The voucher would pay for a hotel room.

"I hope we never have to use it, but it is a good thing to have in place," Zeiger said.