Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for June 19, 2007 PROTECTING "THE STUFF"

From the WPSD TV Channel 6 website...

Cairo House Fire Forces Owner To Set Up Tent

Posted By: Matthew Bozone

A Cairo woman is victimized twice. First, by a fire in her home, now by the fear that if she leaves she'll lose what little she has left.

From the outside of the house it's hard to tell a fire even happened, but inside a much different story."

"I didn't lose everything. There's a lot of smoke damage upstairs, but it's really all down in the basement" said Carol Carpenter. She showed NewsChannel 6 the damage.

"The pipes--see how they melted down," said Carpenter.

Her basement is a constant reminder of what happened. Smoke damaged much of the rest of the home. "Smoke was going out the chimney, up the walls and everywhere else" said Carpenter.

The ceiling tiles show the damage, so do ruined books. Everyday Carpenter goes through her burned out home trying to salvage anything she can. Meantime, she's set up a new home - just 20 feet from her front steps. Carol now calls two tents home.

"This is it, this is where I sleep," said Carol.

A foam mattress and two pillows. Next to her tent-a home for one of her grandchildren. The Red Cross gave Carol a food voucher and offered to put her up in a hotel but she says that's something she says she just can't do.

Carol's afraid if she's not here her things will disappear.

"I ain't got much but what I got I want to keep," Carol laughed.

As for the police and neighbors.

"They're not going to protect it for me. They're not going to send someone out there and make sure nobody comes. I've got too much stuff in there and I've got two very expensive TVs," said Carol.

So for now she's living a new kind of life. Waiting for her insurance agent to give her the all clear...to start cleaning up.

"I can't move nothing out! I can't clean nothing, can't pack nothing until the insurance people come out" said Carpenter.

She says it's sad when fire ruins your home and changes your life. But even tougher when she can't trust people living right next door. "It's very sad you can't have nothing that somebody wants to take from you," said Carpenter.

Some of Carpenter's friends are helping her out. They set up a fund at the Supervalue grocery story in Cairo. A close friend is now helping her watch the house when she can't be there.