SRQ House Fire: Help Andrea & Scott Start Over

It is with a heavy heart that we share that our parents, Andrea Verier and D. Scott Taylor, of Sarasota, FL, suffered a devastating house fire overnight from Thursday, June 30, 2022, into Friday, July 1, 2022. Though the cause is still officially undetermined, it seems that their home was struck by lightning and this spurred an electrical fire that quickly spread out of control.

 

On Thursday around 4:30pm they felt and heard an enormous bolt of lightning that literally shook our dad from his chair. A short time later, they began to smell smoke and promptly called 911. Firefighters arrived on the scene and located the source of the fire, which was within the wiring in the crawlspace above their hallway. The firefighters cut open the ceiling and an adjoining wall, extinguished the fire, cut the electricity to the home, and told our parents to stay with family for the night so that they didn't inhale any smoke. Exhausted and scared, our parents agreed and left their home empty-handed, planning to return the following morning to begin the restoration of the small area that had been damaged.

 

Sometime around midnight, the Sheriff's Department called our parents and explained that the fire had somehow reignited. They raced to their home, but it was too late. Firefighters once again responded to the scene, but my parents stood outside and, quite literally, watched their beautiful and beloved home burn to the ground.

 

This is where you come in. Imagine being in your mid-70s and, instead of looking forward to total retirement and babyproofing your swimming pool for your first grandchild, you are left to start over from scratch. Of course they have insurance but, in a few days' time, we have surmised that it will not come close to covering their losses. They are looking at months of negotiating with the insurance company, at least a year of temporary housing, and the seemingly impossible task of rebuilding a home that they took so much pride in. This, of course, is with the additional hurdles of supply chain problems and massive global inflation, which their insurance policy in no way accounts for.

 

If you are able to help with any of the expenses they are up against, please contribute what you can and share this fundraiser far and wide. There are no two people more humble, generous, kind, and deserving of help than our parents. It is in times like these that we recognize the profoundness of community. We are deeply grateful for your support during this painful time as our beautiful parents face this insurmountable task of starting over.

 

With love and gratitude in moving forward,

Nayda Verier-Taylor and Sidra Verier-Taylor