It’s Getting Hot in Here

JT Scott | 05/06/2018 | 3

As some of you know, last Wednesday was an eventful afternoon. First the good news: thanks to the help of Leo and Felipe, we got the retaining wall finished as the final stage in repairing the sewer line break at the gym. Mission accomplished!

Just two hours later on Wednesday May 2, a fire began on the second story porch at the rear of my home. It has been investigated by SFD, SPD, State Police, and the State Fire Marshall and determined to be an accidental fire caused by spontaneous combustion of some rags in a trash bag. My family and I were not at home, but there were several therapists working in the building at the time with clients.

The incident was classified as a “major fire” by Somerville Fire Department and it was only by their quick action that the building was saved, though the damage was extensive. The fire consumed a section at the rear of the house, including some of the roof. ISD has cut electric power to the building as a safety precaution. As it stands, the building is currently uninhabitable and my family is now homeless.

In addition, there are 8 therapists and other wellness practitioners currently displaced from their offices at Union Wellness Center, which occupied the shared office spaces in the front of our home. These practitioners are essential parts of the support network for their clients, and we want them to stay active in Union Square during the rebuilding process we have ahead of us. We are working with Jessica Eshleman at Union Square Main Streets, who has generously offered to help us find temporary working spaces for these important businesses in our community.

I will be working with the insurance company, contractors, and the city to get our home and the Union Wellness Center offices restored as soon as possible, but at this point we still don’t know how extensive the structural damage from the fire was and how long repairs might take. I am hoping to have more information next week after consultation with the insurance people and contractors, but it could be a very long time before we are back in the home.

For the first few nights, my family stayed with Nick, Shereen, and Sonorous at their place! Thanks to the incredible generosity of some other friends in the neighborhood, we have a place to stay now until May 15. I am still looking for a longer term solution for housing in the neighborhood while we work on repairing our home.

I thank you for the many offers of help you sent in the last few days, and am especially grateful for the generosity of Laura, EB, Renee, Nelly, Roger, Eoin, and Ryan – your gifts unlooked for were amazing. Until I have a better idea of how extensive the repairs will be and what kind of timeline we’re looking at, I don’t really know how much or what kind of help we need. When I have a better sense of the situation and have explored some options, I’ll put out another update and ask for what we need.

Thanks also go the city staff who have reached out to assist, and once again to Chief Breen and the Somerville Fire Department whose fast response prevented this from being a much worse tragedy. In the meantime, I will still be at the facility coaching my usual Wednesday mornings and Friday evenings, plus covering a few noon classes while Kirstie is out of town this week – though I apologize in advance if my response time to email slows down a bit while I’m sorting through these personal matters.

In the end, I know it will all work out – and that we’ll be fine thanks in no small part to the support of the amazing CrossFit Somerville community. You folks are the absolute best!

WOD: unknown and unknowable. Show up expecting the unexpected. 🙂