Family vows to rebuild after fire destroys 5th-generation CT farmhouse. ‘We are not alone'

Yahoo

7 days ago

The Burke family lost their home, family pets, personal belongings and almost everything they own when a fire ripped through their fifth-generation Connecticut farmhouse.
The South Windsor family is trying to pick up the pieces, and the community is helping out.
Loyal Burke Ridge Farms customer Kelly Juleson is spearheading a GoFundMe account that has already netted more than $30,000 as of Monday afternoon.
'We are overwhelmed and humbled by the outpouring of love and support from our community during this incredibly difficult time. The loss of our home, our belongings, and our pets has been devastating. But we have found something extraordinary: the strength, generosity, and kindness of the people around us,' the Burke Family said in a statement.
'While we have lost so much, we have also gained more than we could ever have imagined. Your messages, donations, and helping hands have reminded us that we are not alone.'
'While we cannot get back what we have lost, we have the foundation of five generations of work, memories, and commitment to the community and we are committed to rebuilding. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. You've helped us begin to heal, and you've given us hope for the road ahead,' the statement said.
There was a constant flow of customers at the store at 95 Wapping Wood Road in Ellington on Monday. The store remained opened through the weekend and hasn't missed a day.
The farmhouse is on 175 acres in South Windsor. The home is South Windsor, but the Burke Ridge Farms shop, where the family sells ice cream and fresh meat products, is in Ellington.
Juleson said in the GoFundMe description that the fire was ignited by a lightning strike and within minutes had spread room to room and that the Burke family was left with just 'ashes and heartbreak.'
Bill and Christa lived on one floor and daughter Brittani and her boyfriend lived on the other floor. Juleson said all four lost everything that wasn't on their backs or in their cars. Tragically, the family lost several cats to the fire as well as a staple on the property, family dog Twist.
Christa Burke said her no one was in the house when the lightning bolt struck on Friday afternoon.
'Our garden center is across the farm from our home, and we were here working and scooping ice cream,' Christa Burke said in between customers. 'My daughter was about to go home and take the dog out of the house and thank God she didn't get there sooner because she very well could have been in there too. We are trying to look at that as the silver lining here. We are very sad about our pets. That's probably the hardest part of all of this. They were a part of our family.'
The Burke's have nearly 200 cows, about 20 pigs, as well as sheep, chicken and goats on the land. The family continues to tend to their animals as well as working at their farm ice cream stand.
'It's been a lot. It was more than a home. It was the central hub for five generations of our family operation,' Brittani said. 'Everything we have to run our farm was destroyed. We were sitting there watching the house burn. We were tending to the animals, and it was a hot day. Their needs come first and we were getting them water.'
The 20 pigs were loose during the fire and were caught by South Windsor animal control and are being sheltered at a friend of the Burkes.
Juelson said she met the Burkes almost five years ago when she moved into town and met Bill and Christa. Her family would get ice cream and became close with the Burkes over the years.
'The Burkes are the kind of people you want in your community: salt-of-the-earth, hardworking, humble. After years of challenges, they've fought hard to find stability — to protect their land, their legacy, and their family business. And now, they're starting over from scratch,' Juleson said.
Juleson said the Burkes weren't looking for handouts, but she insisted that people would want to help them.
'I was too proud to ask for help and Kelly was OK we are doing this,' Christa Burke said. 'I'm just so thankful to her and so many in the people in the community that have helped. It's been incredible. People have stepped up. Kelly really stepped up and she has really been incredible.'
Juleson said she pulled into the property on Friday expecting no one to be there and she said the store was still open.
'Everything continued to go on as their home is burning behind them,' Juleson said. 'I pulled into the ice cream stand thinking, no one would be here. Well, the house was still smoldering, and they were working. They were here scooping ice cream and people were coming who had no idea what was going on behind them. And so, you know, that they had to like grin and bear it and continue to serve ice cream… that's how committed they are to the work, but then also the animals, they can't take a break.'
In addition to the monetary contributions, Juleson said on Sunday there were nearly 50 volunteers helping the Burke's transplant and plant mums for the fall.
'The community has turned out for the Burkes. I had tears in my eyes pulling up to the farm yesterday and seeing close to 50 people helping them replant their mums,' Juleson said.
The volunteers helped transplant into larger pots as well as planting into the ground. This will allow the family to sell the plants in the fall.
'People who live in the surrounding know this could have been them and just knowing the loss that the Burke's have faced is gut-wrenching,' Juleson said. 'It's not just their house; they have lost all of their livestock supplies.'
The tragedy struck on Friday around 2 p.m. and the South Windsor Fire Department responded to the fire at the two-and-a-half-story farmhouse on Niederwerfer Road.
According to the fire department, first responders arrived within six minutes and saw a 'large amount of fire on the front porch and first floor.'
South Windsor Fire Department said that the entry was made through the other side of the house and firefighters were able to save two cats that 'appeared OK.' The volume of the fire prevented further interior searches, but the homeowner arrived shortly after and confirmed that the occupants were not in the building.
Late Sunday night, a third surviving cat emerged on the farm and is back with the family. Christa said the cat seems OK but may be a little traumatized.
All 40 members of the South Windsor Fire Department were on scene and South Windsor received aid from eight other departments as well as jurisdictional coverage from two others, according to the South Windsor Fire Department.
The South Windsor Fire Department said, 'The weather played a role as this response was during a storm cell with lightning and high temperatures tipping close to 100 degrees.'
State Senator Saud Anwar, who represents East Hartford, Ellington, East Windsor and South Windsor, visited the Burke's at Burke Ridge Farms on Sunday and said the community response to the fire has been 'heartwarming.'
'This is heartbreaking because they have been such an important part of the community and lightning can strike any one of us and destroy our homes and every memory,' Anwar said. 'The other thing that has happened is that this has brought people together and allow everyone to rally together to help in any way possible.'
'As I told the family, this is a marathon and there are multiple parts to this marathon, and we will be with them throughout this journey to help them because they'll have to rebuild their home,' Anwar added.
South Windsor Fire Department said in its report on the fire that the area of town had no nearby hydrants and they were laying a supply line from more than 3,000 feet away.
Anwar said this is an issue he is looking into. He said if a hydrant was in the area perhaps the outcome could have been better.
'It's a farm and there's no public water supply, so the Connecticut water lines do not go close to that area, so we did not have hydrants,' Anwar said. 'That created a delay despite the South Windsor Fire Department being there right away within a matter of minutes…pressure that is needed to have an immediate response was somewhat delayed because of lack of fire hydrants and lack of having enough supply.'
Anwar said he is going to have a meeting with Connecticut Water, the mayor, town manager and state Rep. Tom Delnicki to 'discuss what can be done to address this issue.'
'We want to make sure that every town, not only South Windsor, but every other town where there is a risk of having limitation of access of water for emergencies, we have to figure out a strategy around this,' Anwar said.
For now, the Burke family is staying with friends in town and the store has remained open and busy.
'The farming community is so important to all of us, especially here in South Windsor, we are very interested in protecting our lands, keeping this beautiful space for our community, they're not going to be able to do it alone,' Juleson said.
Juleson said people have been reaching out through email on the GoFundMe page to offer to help the Burke's by volunteering in addition to monetary donations. She said for those who wish to donate their time or services are asked to email [e-mail].
Brittani, 24, said her goal has always been to take over the farm someday and continue the family legacy. She said the farm is 'going to come back better and stronger than ever thanks to the support from the community.'
'It's been a devastating loss, but it has been great to see the community come together for us and have given us the strength to forge on,' Brittani Burke said.
'We are more overwhelmed by the response of our community than what happened,' Christa Burke added.
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