After Weeks of silence I have finally decided to speak out here on my blog.
Like many of
us that work in the industry we are night owls. Many of us are working late
into the night and sleep well into the afternoon.
On December
19th the final live episode of Attack of the Show aired and I posted a Blog
about the subject and then I continued to edit the Scare for a Cure Haunt video
for my HauntShooter YouTube Channel after which I took a break to go into the
living room to brew some Iced tea for the next day and to watch some videos on
NetFlix to review for this blog. I had been thinking about launching both a
podcast and a series of video blogs so as a result I had all of my cameras set
up around my place. I had my primary camera and lights set up in front of a
Green Screen because of an invention that I am trying to create with my Cousin.
The other
cameras were set up around my work station so that I can film myself working
and cut the occasional video blog for my YouTube Channels.
I had also
began recutting my film Checkmate that was filmed in 2005 but not yet edited
fully because of Sound Issues however living in Austin I had recently learned
how to repair the damage to the audio and was in the process of creating a back
ground score with some of the local musicians in the Austin area.
My Roommate
had already gone to bed and was sound asleep.
Then I heard
noises outside which sounded like screaming and yelling and then I stepped
outside to see what was going on.
What I saw
was pure chaos. All of my neighbors were running around the complex pounding on
Doors waking up the other apartments. There were embers blowing on the street
and the apartments around the complex. And I could see flames behind the
buildings.
My first
instinct was to wake up my roommate and to gather up the cats.
Due to the
fact that my roommate is confined to a wheelchair and I had to mostly help her
out of the while carrying the pet carrier with the cats inside.
Noticing that
Laura’s van was parked at the epicenter of where the flames were I knew that I
had to try to save it as it is a custom made for her with a special lift for
her wheelchair and I was unable to get to it as the embers and fire fell on top
of me burning my neck and back and the van was lost.
http://www.kvue.com/news/Austin-fire-victims-move-on-with-help-from-Red-Cross-184572511.html
Well after
we gathered the cats and my roommate I placed them outside and I had my laptop
and my phone still on me and the fire department then told us to leave and I
decided to listen to them.
Laura and I
decided that the best place to go was to the motel next door to the apartment
complex that was in the opposite direction that the fire was going and I began
to take her there and however while I was pushing her wheelchair and we hit a
rise in the sidewalk that threw Laura out of her chair and the chair flew back
stabbing me in the leg knocking me down.
Luckily for
us there was a cameraman close by that had seen us both fall and he then set
his camera down and helped Laura back into her chair and we made it to the hotel.
The chaos of
the apartment complex fire was met with an eerie calm in the hotel which to me
was reminiscent to the final scene in Poltergeist…Just without me pushing out
the TV.
The best
part about the insurance company that we used was the fact that it was right
across the street and I walked to it at 9:00 in the morning in my socks and
when I told them what happened there was no doubt because you could still see
the smoke and it smelled like firecrackers.
Laura had
just found a nice young woman to help her around the apartment with duties
while I was working and she was super helpful in taking me to get another pair
of shoes.
After we got
to the hotel the room that they gave us was on the second floor and I was able
to walk to the other side of the hotel after I knew that Laura and the cats
were in the room and situated and I watched my home and all my belongings burn.
I felt the
need to post it on facebook but I didn’t feel like taking any pictures of the
event especially since all of my cameras were in the apartment as I didn’t have
time to break them down so that I could get them out and I felt that getting
all of the living things out of the apartment. Since the cars were also
destroyed in the fire this became an issue in the fact that it was a what you
can carry situation and that was the cats and Laura.
I watched
the building burn and inside was 30 years of movies, comic book, and action
figures among other things that I had been collecting since childhood not to
mention all of my video archives, the projects that I was working on as well as
all of my equipment.
I had spent
years collecting special editions of DVDs and taking them to conventions to get
signed by the guests and it can’t be forgotten that I lost the rare films that
few remain of in existence... One of the most painful things to lose is my
Universal Monster displays that I had for many years. Which I am sure that
there is more out there somewhere I just need to find them.
These all
pale in comparison to the things that Laura lost in the fire. Laura lost all of
her family heirlooms, a painting that her late father had painted, her family
pictures and awards that she had won as well as her extensive library of rare
books and clothes that her late mother had hand stitched for her.
We are very
lucky to have rescued out cats. There were some of the apartments that were
unable to get their pets out and they either perished in the fire or are having
to take their chances in the open world because their homes were destroyed.
While I was
watching the building burn I decided to make a posting of Facebook talking
about what had happened. I don’t know what made me do that it was a pure
impulse decision.
The next day
friends of mine saw the posting and began efforts to help Laura and I recover
from the fire.
A friend of
mine that he and I were estranged for a year was one of the first ones on the
scene arriving on the scene with another friend with some changes of clothes
for me.
I attended a
meeting for the residents that were affected by the fire by the Police as well
as the fire department who informed us that nothing in the building were
salvageable as the building burned to the ground and was still on fire.
He Also
informed us that it was an absolute miracle that no one was seriously injured
or killed in the fire especially the way that the fire spread.
I will
credit most of that with the quick thinking of the neighbors especially the
ones across the walkway that coordinated themselves to knock on all doors until
a light was seen coming on.
I also give
credit to the fire department who put forth the best effort that they could put
together to put out the fire.
The next day
after the Facebook posting Lar called me and put together a donation effort for
household items as well as money donations. Lar is still working that effort as
is my good friend Anjanette who is putting together a benefit in Dallas to help
us.
The Austin
Disaster Relief Network and the American Red Cross were also there to help us.
The ADRN acquired Laura a new Electric Wheelchair and the Red Cross was there
with Debit Cards for us to buy new clothes and helped Laura get new medication
that she had lost in the fire.
Now Laura
and I did have Renters insurance but the policy was pretty small considering
how much the equipment that I had lost as well as the collections and
entertainment centers that we had.
My Equipment
alone reaches about $15,000 not to mention the furniture and clothes that we
lost.
Our families
have been great. Laura and I are currently staying at her sister’s house where
they have been ultra-accommodating and hospitable to me and her.
I have also
received small donations from my family and friends. This incident happened
during the holidays and with the economy in the position that it is in many of
us don’t have much to help out and trust me I understand that. I am happy to
receive all the small donations that I can get.
For those of
you that would like to donate and help us, I have included a PayPal button for
donations
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=R6JGHBKK6KJN6Items can be delivered to Lar (in Plano) lar@larparklincoln.com 214 289 6407 and Anjanette anjanetteclewis@yahoo.com 214 549 8023 https://www.facebook.com/anjanetteclewis (in Dallas) as they are coordinating drops offs etc.
https://www.facebook.com/events/272068892921749/?ref=22
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