House fire just latest bad luck for family

EVERETT — Eric and Suzanna Fay often wonder what they’ve done to deserve such a long streak of bad luck.

Last year, Eric Fay, 34, was laid off from his job fixing buildings. On his birthday in November, he was beaten up on the street and suffered a broken back. The couple, who have two young children, lost medical insurance. One of their cars broke down.

Life was difficult enough already when on Jan. 7, the garage adjacent to their south Everett rental home caught fire. Suzanna Fay, 33, and Kelltee, the couple’s 4-year-old daughter, narrowly escaped the blaze.

One thing they learned:

“It always could be worse,” Suzanna Fay said. “At least we don’t live in Haiti.”

That afternoon, Eric Fay finished welding in his garage and went out to pay a utility bill. Suzanna Fay went to take a nap when she heard what sounded like hail hitting the roof of her home. She looked out the window and saw flames bursting from the garage adjacent to the house. She grabbed a sleepy Kelltee and ran outside.

Several people had called 911 by then.

She remembered Kajun, a black Lab mix, was still in the back yard. She ripped part of the fence from the ground to get him to safety.

The landlord told the family it will take about five month to fix the house. He let them move into another rental home just behind the one where the fire happened. They call it their “hotel house.”

The acrid smell that lingered in the air for days was a constant reminder of what Suzanna Fay described as a “shocking, numbing experience.”

The fire caused $100,000 in damage. Much of the furniture inside the home survived. Thousands of dollars worth of tools and other items stored in the garage didn’t.

Some items lost in the fire can never be replaced. Gone is a cherished toolbox that belonged to Suzanna’s dad, who died 5 years ago. So is her parents’ china, which she was hoping to pass on to her daughter. Also lost were the knickknacks that recalled precious memories from when Eric Fay lived in Germany.

“I’m just glad I didn’t kill my wife,” he said.

On a recent afternoon, the faint smell of smoke still rose up from the charred structure as Eric Fay surveyed his losses. Three melted motorcycles. A chain saw damaged beyond recognition and a graveyard of other tools. A drill made it, protected by its case.

The house is mostly intact. Still, it’s far from being ready to welcome the family back. Soot covers the floors in parts of the house. Holes gape in the ceiling where the flames ripped through the walls.

The Fays also lost their camping supplies. The couple love camping so much their kids’ names were inspired by outdoor gear brands: Kelty and Coleman.

Kelltee and Koleman, 8, have been happy through the ordeal, bringing smiles to their parents’ faces. The one thing Eric and Suzanna Fay felt bad about was when they had to cancel their son’s birthday party on Jan. 16. The fire left them with nowhere to celebrate. Still, the couple refused to give up and surprised Koleman and his friends with a special party at school.

Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com