MOUNT VERNON — Less than a week after a house fire cost the Lemay family many of their possessions and heavily damaged their home, Jim and Joanne Lemay say they have much for which to be thankful.
“[Thanksgiving] definitely means a lot more this year,” Jim said Tuesday. “Absolutely.”
Last Friday morning, while 3-year-old Jamie and 6-year-old Callia watched cartoons in the living room, Joanne went outside to the garage to check her computer about a possible school delay due to the winter weather.
Joanne said she heard a loud popping noise coming from the back of the house.
Jim said the high winds had blown open a window on the enclosed rear porch, knocking over a Halogen lamp. The lamp landed on clothing, catching it on fire and quickly spreading through the porch. The popping noise Joanne heard was a window at the rear of the house breaking due to the flames.
With her children still inside, Joanne knew the doors on the side and front of the house were locked, and went in the only open door — into the flaming rear of the house.
She said she was acting on pure instinct and adrenaline to get to her children. Her husband, however, who was at work when the fire broke out, said he realizes the risk she took to get to her daughters.
“She had to run through the fire to get to the kids,” he said.
Joanne ran through the master bedroom with the children, toward the exit.
“I grabbed a blanket,” she said.
Knox County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Burgess, who had seen the flames while on his way to another call, was running onto the porch as Joanne rushed to get the children to safety.
Off-duty Mount Vernon firefighter Nick Cockrell also stopped when he saw the fire, and followed Burgess onto the porch. He also radioed the Mount Vernon Fire Department main station about the fully involved fire.
Burgess took a child in each arm and carried them to safety. Joanne said her two dogs ran from the house. She said she also tried to rescue the family’s cats, which were later found to be safe.
Knox County Sheriff David Barber said Tuesday he considers Burgess a hero.
“Burgess is an outstanding officer and a real humble guy,” Barber said, adding that Burgess will receive a commendation for his lifesaving efforts.
MVFD Chief Shawn Christy said the efforts of both Burgess and Cockrell were a good example of “the sacrifice first responders make on and off duty.”
“We are fortunate here in our county to have so many first responders who do the job not for the money they make, but for the difference they can provide,” Christy said.
Interviewed Tuesday at the motel where they have been staying since the fire, the Lemays said they are extremely grateful for all the help they received from the firefighters, police officers, neighbors and complete strangers who provided aid the morning of the fire.
Passerby Trent Hauke stopped when he saw Burgess and Cockrell running toward the burning house, and kept the two children and the dogs warm in his truck until more help arrived.
While Jim made his way to the fire scene, neighbors cared for the animals and the children.
“I was there 10 minutes after the fire started, and everybody was out there,” Jim said of the dozens of first responders and civilians who were assisting his family.
The Lemays said they have been overwhelmed by the response of the community to their situation. They described the countless ways extended family members have helped with transportation, childcare, emotional support and hands-on help with practical necessities.
The couple has been surprised by the outpouring of support they have received from friends and others in the community. Jim’s fellow employees at Nonstop Digital took up a collection for the family, and Neff’s Cardinal Market, which employs Joanne, has offered to restock the family’s home with food.
The Knox County Chapter of the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army of Mount Vernon have provided the family’s hotel stay until their insurance takes over the cost.
Jim said the family’s insurance agent has eased the painful process of arranging housing for the family, and repair of the fire, smoke and water damage the Coshocton Avenue home sustained.
The family will be out of its home for three to six months, according to Jim. The Lemays are looking for a rental home in Mount Vernon.
Callia is in the first grade at Pleasant Street Elementary, where the staff has provided clothing and gift cards for the family. First Baptist Church of Utica and Praise Chapel Fellowship have donated offerings to the family.
The couple said Tuesday the children are handling the traumatic experience pretty well.
“They’re pretty resilient,” Jim said.
“I don’t think that the complete impact has set in yet,” Joanne said.
Joanne said she reassured her children the most important parts of their lives were not lost in the fire.
“It’s just things; we can replace things,” she said.
Both girls shared their parents’ joy that the family’s pets, including a hamster, all survived the fire.
Today, the family plans to stop at the Mount Vernon fire station to see some of the first responders who helped them last week.
“The girls and both of us would like to thank them,” Joanne said.
The family will then travel to Jim’s grandmother’s house to celebrate Thanksgiving. They said they are extremely thankful today for the support of the community and the safety of the children.
“We are doing OK, thanks to everybody else,” Jim said.
