Help Adam Nelson in Restoring His Life Post-Fire

Our friend, Adam Nelson, lost his home to fire in an instant. It was a near enough thing that he almost lost his life several times as well. Not only when his home was burning, but also in the aftermath of the brush fire.

Adam is a veteran and works from home. As luck would have it he was at work in his shop adjacent to his home.

Working is what saved his life.

Late Monday afternoon, Adam was working in his shop near the house, when he heard a loud WHOOSH. The sound was like a thunderclap of heat. The noise blasted through his sound canceling headphones. He stopped and the shocking thought was that a tree had just fallen through his house. He ran outside. He expected to see his home smashed by a tree, but the reality of flames engulfing it instead was beyond shocking. The blast had blown out all the windows and the flames were coming out of them. Adam had never felt such a mix of utmost loss and shock while watching the fire completely engulf his home. He had to do something, so he did the most important thing he could think of and ran to save the life left inside. It was his daughter’s little guinea pig. A wall of fire met him, yet he ran past it. But just a few steps in, he knew the little creature was gone. Adam backed out while he could, and only then felt the burns on his arms and face.

The fire department rolled up and firefighters jumped out. The all volunteer fire department had arrived in just minutes. The fire chief told Adam that the huge whoosh sound was the point in the fire when the air in the house ignited all at once. Although, the firefighters put out the fire, nothing was left but charred timber and twisted metal.

But the fire was not done. The embers drifted and ignited the surrounding brush.

Adam, friends, family, and the volunteer firefighters fought that fire as it flared up over the next 3 days. Even the youngest among them could not be held back. Adam's 12-year-old nephew, William, put his body on the fire line and cut trenches. Despite smoke inhalation and burns, Adam worked with the fire department to contain the forest fire.

(video by his Uncle Charlie)

At one point, Adam was separated from everyone, and surrounded by smoke. He had not felt such primal fear until caught in that white wall of smoke. He held his breath as long as he could while trying to escape. But he had to take a breath, even though the smoke was rolling at him. He sprinted through it and made it out to safety. The fire was finally contained Thursday night and Adam left to get checked by the doctors.

All in all, Adam and the others fought the fire for 4 days. He has bad smoke inhalation and various burns, but the doctors treated him and he has medicines. No other lives were lost. The family cat made it out and was found safe. He and his family are alive, although they have lost all of their clothes, and many other personal possessions. They have to buy food. So much of the day-to-day living items must be replaced.

As the embers have cooled and the wood disintegrates to piles of charcoal, the process of debris removal must begin. The cost of removal has been another shock. The funds from this GoFundMe will also allow this process to start right away, before it embeds into the land as the weather turns.

Since Adam is not the kind of guy to ask for anything, he already is making plans to pay it forward. Once his insurance is settled, he plans to donate 15 forced air respirators to the volunteer fire department. Unbelievably, this all volunteer fought this fire without them. Special thanks to the firefighters of the Guyan River Volunteer Station 600. First on scene, they continued to respond day after day until the fire was completely contained.

Please share this GoFundMe-it is critical to get even small donations as this family of 4 tries to replace personal clothes, hygiene items, and some toys to comfort the toddler. She is just three years old and this has been a big shock to her.

(Here is Adam with his cat right after the fire destroyed his house. She came running up to him afterwards.)