Update from Jeri Biehler 11-04-08

On Thursday evening, October 30th there was a fire at Three Trees. The good news is no one was in the building at the time. There was considerable damage to our office, while the other three businesses in the building suffered only minor smoke damage. The fire started in the northeast corner room (aka the program coordinator's office and the "Winter Lodge" room.)

The fire investigators have ruled the cause of the fire "an accident caused by a probable candle." Their investigation discovered the following...
On Monday evening a candle was used in the Winter Lodge room. It was extinguished, but because of several factors as explained by the investigators, it re-ignited or was not fully extinguished. The candle was located on the left side of the wooden fireplace mantel, which sat on top of the fake, decorative fireplace which was also wooden. Children's art in progress (masks, memory boxes) were on the mantel too, as was a plastic lap desk attached to a pillow. The pillow contained those tiny little polystyrene beads, which are highly flammable. This fueled the fire.
The back office and the kitchen area are a total loss - in other words, charcoal black. The rest of the office sustained considerable smoke and heat damage with the worst being in the back where the fire started. Many things, especially in the back, are melted beyond recognition. Most everything will not be salvageable. Our paper files for the most part are okay...just smoky and soot covered. The electronic files have pretty much been restored. The building itself is structurally okay, but because the electrical and heating/cooling systems for the entire building originate in our office much restoration must occur before the electricity can even be turned on. With luck this will happen by Wednesday for everyone except us.

As communicated before, continuing groups is our first priority. After gathering input and looking at various resources, it was decided to continue offering current groups without a lag in service. Our first group will be Tuesday 11/4, followed by a new group starting on Thursday and then one Saturday morning. The groups will be held at Eastminister Presbyterian Church of Webb Road. We are also in the process of setting up a small administrative office. Information about that will be shared when finalized. Paper files will soon be removed and possibly a few mementos (i.e. the quilts, the large mosaic panel, etc.) if they can be salvaged.

In the coming weeks we will need a lot of help to provide services to our kiddos and for various other projects due to the fire. We will communicate regularly about such opportunities. If you know you have time to help, please let me know. We have started a list of “helpers” and will draw from it as needed.

In the meantime, please be assured of our commitment to our mission, our children and families, and to you. And, while this may seem devastating now, keep in mind fires happen in the forest. And damaged trees grow back stronger and more beautiful than before. Three Trees is well-established. Our “trees” were planted years ago and we now have deep roots. We are still here, and even though a bit overwhelmed, we are still focused and determined to fulfill our mission of “providing a safe and comforting environment to grieving children and their families.”
Thank you in advance for your support and prayers. I’ll be in touch again soon.