A Clarendon woman is counting her blessings after a housefire destroyed part of her home and resulted in the loss of three pets last Wednesday, December 28.
“God takes care of us in ways we can’t imagine,” Terri Luna told the Enterprise this week, recalling how her friends and community have rallied around her. “It’s just been phenomenal.”
Luna was out of town when the fire broke out in her home in the 300 block of West Third Street, but she says within minutes it seems like the community was there for her.
“I was in Amarillo at my daughter’s and got a call from Shantel Harris at the Brake Time deli asking me if I was okay,” Luna said. “I told her I had a little bit of a cold but felt pretty good. That’s when she told me that’s not what she meant and that my house was on fire.”
Moments earlier, Sue Hardy, who was housesitting for Luna, awakened to what seemed like a fog in the house. Meanwhile, Carey Wann, a local EMT, was driving by at the time and noticed smoke coming from the house. He went into action and called the authorities.
“I went and pushed the door open, helped (Hardy) get out, and got one of the little dogs out,” Wann said.
Three other dogs perished in the fire.
The Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched at 8:55 and was on the scene by 8:59, Fire Chief Jeremy Powell said. CVFD responded to the blaze with five trucks and 11 firemen and stayed on the scene until 11:15.
“We got a hold of it pretty quick, but it got into the attic and eves and in a wall,” Powell said.
Rushing back from Amarillo, Luna learned that someone had already notified her insurance agent – Virginia Patten with Hall-Donley Farm Bureau – and that her claim was already being processed.
“Virginia was actually on vacation but stopped to take care of me,” Luna said. “It’s just another positive thing about living in a small town.”
Friends, family, her church, the school, student organizations, and the Ministerial Alliance were all quick to respond in Luna’s hour of need, she said. A fund was established at the Donley County State Bank, and a GoFundMe was set up online. Local businesses began taking donations to add to the fund at the bank.
Offers of places to stay were also plentiful, she said.
“If I slept in every home that was offered to me, I could probably couch hop for two months and never stay in the same place,” Luna said.
While Luna said she’s always loved her community and known the kindness of its residents, she didn’t understand the full extent of it until the last week.
“It’s been too overwhelming for words,” she said. “And I don’t know how people know what you need. I’ve been offered a lot of stuff, and other than clothes, its never the same thing twice.”
Officials say the fire appears to have started in the front bedroom on the southeast side of the house, but Powell said Tuesday that the cause of the blaze is still unknown.
The adjacent living room had some fire damage, he said, but most of the house suffered only smoke and heat damage.
“It is reparable,” the chief said. “It’s a well-built house.”
Luna said her situation is “turning out to be livable and doable” but moving back into that house won’t be an option for her.
“I lost my dogs in there. We had them for nine years. Even if I could rebuild, I just can’t live there,” she said.
Almost a week after the fire, Luna says she believes she’s in a good position. She has a place to stay as she sorts things out and returned to work Tuesday at Clarendon High School where she teaches. Going back to work was refreshing, she said, as she starts to figure out her new normal.
“I think I have what I need, but I still appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers,” she said.
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