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Compassion after tragedy

Two days before Christmas, a fire destroys the Petersens' home and kills their three dogs.

By ALEX LEARY and JAMIE THOMPSON
Published December 25, 2005

	[Times photo: Ted McLaren]
	Scott Shore, from Clearwater Fire and Rescue, hugs Brenda Petersen while Jessica Petersen, 9, finds comfort with her dad, Michael, on Saturday. After the Petersens' home was destroyed in a fire, Shore helped organize a collection for them.

CLEARWATER - The Petersen family had one of the worst days ever Friday. They lost their home and three beloved dogs to fire, not to mention their belongings and all their Christmas presents.

But today, they plan to drive over to the Clearwater fire station to deliver a heartfelt message of gratitude.

Even with all the loss, there's a lot to be thankful for, they say.

The terrible part of the family's story began just before 6 p.m. Friday.

Michael Petersen, 41, was headed to the house on Bugle Lane where he had lived almost seven years with his wife, Brenda, a teacher at Plumb Elementary in Clearwater, and their three children, Douglas, Josh and Jessica.

He noticed a dark fog above his neighborhood and wondered what it could be.

Soon he knew: Smoke was pouring from his garage.

Petersen pressed the electric garage door opener, and as it rose he saw the flames.

"Get the dogs, get the dogs, get the dogs," he thought. He ran through the garage and opened the kitchen door. A cloud of black smoke poured out.

"I had to pull back," Petersen recalled Saturday. He shouted for the dogs, Labrador retrievers named Madisen, Meshach and Roxy. Nothing.

So he ran to the front of the house, unlocked the door and stepped into the living room. Again, he was met by a thick wall of smoke.

"I took off my sweater and put it over my face. There were flames in the kitchen so I could kind of see.

"I used my last breath to yell for the dogs. But my eyes were burning and I couldn't breathe, so I ran back for the door. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I hadn't tried."

About the same time, Mrs. Petersen's cell phone rang.

"Brenda," a friend told her, "I think your house is on fire. You better get home quick."

She had the two younger children, 9-year-old Jessica and 11-year-old Josh, and had planned to go Christmas shopping.

Instead, she raced home.

When she got there, the fire, which had apparently started in an air handler in the garage, was nearly out.

Firefighters had taken off their coats and helmets and stood in small groups, drinking water. Their faces sweaty, they looked at the charred frame.

Burned Christmas lights hung from the eaves. A Merry Christmas sign hung near the front door.

They watched as Petersen's children and wife arrived home. They saw Petersen's sons rush over to hug their father.

"They were saying, "We're so glad you didn't get hurt,' " said Joel Gray, division chief for Clearwater Fire and Rescue. "In this day and age, a lot of kids would have been worrying about their stuff getting burned up. But they truly had their dad's well-being at heart."

The family was upset about the dogs, who were found huddled together under the kitchen table, dead from smoke inhalation. "They were like our children," said Brenda Petersen, 38.

Reflecting on the fire, firefighters started thinking about their own families, and the holidays, and the presents waiting under their own Christmas trees.

Before long, several of the firefighters said they wanted to help.

Standing in the yard, they pulled out their wallets and offered whatever money they had.

Word spread among the firefighters. They assigned Scott Shore to be in charge of donations.

By that evening, he had a handful of cash.

The firefighters told their colleagues on the Saturday shift about the collection.

More money came in. By noon, they had about $500 to give to the family.

One firefighter went to the Publix store in Trinity to buy a $50 gift certificate. A manager saw him. "Late Christmas present?" he asked. The firefighter told him about the Petersens, and the manager threw in another $50 gift certificate, Gray said.

Firefighters spread the word to their family members and contacts they had at local stores, including Target and Wal-Mart.

They learned that five Target stores wanted to contribute, too. The stores gave about $1,500 in merchandise and gift cards to the family. A Clearwater Wal-Mart donated about $200 in gift cards.

On Saturday, the firefighters asked the Petersens to meet them at a Clearwater Target store.

"They were very surprised, and I think they were a little overwhelmed by the response," Gray said. "They seemed to be humble, down-to-earth folks. They were ever so thankful, couldn't thank us enough. You felt like you did the right thing for the right folks."

Firefighters now are trying to find furniture and other household goods for the family. The house at 1888 Bugle Lane was insured.

"I'm in my 24th year in the fire service, and this is the first year that I've ever experienced anything like this, the first time I've ever had a fire within two days of Christmas," Gray said. "We all realized this could be us and our stuff."

The Petersens are staying with family in Clearwater and have been offered a rental home nearby. They were invited to have a Christmas meal at the fire station today but think they may just stop by to say thanks.

"I've always wondered what it is like to lose everything in a fire," Michael Petersen said. "This time of year, it's just even more devastating. But they made it easier. They just wanted to see their fellow man have Christmas too."

[Last modified December 24, 2005, 23:42:16]