Fire damages take toll on homeowners

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - One week after 24-Hour News 8 first showed just how quickly small stove fires can turn deadly, we’re also focusing on what happens after the flames are put out.

The damage those fires can leave behind can go beyond just charred wood and smoke. Water, mold and even emotional scars can take their toll as homeowners and business owners work to put their lives back together.

Danielle Vezolles is one of them.

Around 1:30 in the morning last June, neighbors heard a loud "pop" outside Zionsville's Brick Street Inn. Moments later, the building was engulfed in flames.

Vezolles, the Inn’s manager, was out of town at the time. She still remembers getting the phone call.

“That was one of my worst nightmares,” she said. “I actually started crying. It was devastating, especially since I didn't know how bad it was.”

When she finally saw the building days later, the damage left behind almost unrecognizable.

The kitchen was layered in black soot. Several of the Inn’s eight rooms were filled with smoke and water damage. The exterior of the building and three large air conditioning units were mangled by the heat.

An Innkeeper’s dreams were left in ruins.

“I was hoping it could [be put back together], but it seemed like it would be a long road,” Vezolles said.

She knew she couldn't walk that road alone.

So, she called for help. Within hours, a 10 person team from Wilds Restoration was already hard at work.

"The mitigation part should happen immediately after the fire department leaves,” said Wilds Restoration Owner Ryan Elfreich. “You have a structure that is wet. Contents need to come out. The structure needs to get dry.”

If those steps aren’t taken properly, mold can set in.

But, the rebuilding process can take time.

“It's a hurry up and wait that’s the difficult part of it,” Elfreich said. “It's getting everybody--the insurance company, the owner of the facility and our staff on the same page. Once that's all agreed on, actually everything flows quite smoothly.”

But, it's not just property that needs a helping hand.

Elfreich says Wilds arrives at every fire scene with a clear message to the property owner.

“This is the dark day. The silver lining is coming. Not only are we going to put it back to the pre-existing condition, the goal is that it looks a little nicer than it did when it originally happened,” he said.

At Brick Street, that silver lining began arriving in late September. Patrick’s Kitchen and Drinks, which occupies a lower portion of the Inn, opened at the end of the month. Following overhauls of several rooms, the kitchen, new air conditioning units and exterior work, The Inn followed a few weeks later.

Typical restoration projects last between 60 and 90 days, Elfreich said.

“The goal is [to get] back to pre-existing condition, and to make sure they have peace of mind and they're comfortable going back into their establishment or their home,” he said.

“They restored it to what it was and then more,” Vezolles said.

Vezolles said the Inn’s insurance policy covered most of the project’s $100,000 cost.

With the nightmare now over, she said an important lesson has been learned.

“I hope we never have to experience anything like this again, but I feel prepared should that ever happen again,” she said.

WISH-TV wants you to be prepared too.

Join 24-Hour News 8 personalities for a family friendly Fire Safety Day at North Meridian Hardware on Saturday, Nov. 10, from 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Local fire safety experts will be on hand, and several activities for kids including fingerprinting, DNA registration and fire safety sessions will be held.

North Meridian Hardware, your only local provider, will also have FireStop products available for purchase and lucky viewers will have a chance to win one every half-hour.