For Gee*, Rohan’s Russian teacher in France, and for her husband Jerome* the events on one evening in May will never be forgotten. In just a few hours their house was burned to the ground. However, thanks to quick-thinking and ingenuity, they and their seven-year old son Lucas* escaped unharmed, although at a material level they lost everything.

Now with no home of their own and relying heavily on help from friends, acquaintances and the local council, for several months they moved from house to house as ‘displaced persons’. As is the custom in France, in response to the family’s circumstances, the council accelerated the process of granting planning permission to build a tiny cottage in their garden as a temporary home; once that was ordered – it was sold in flat pack form – there was a feeling of hope. However, things have been slow and on the day we left for England in late September, so four months after the fire, our Tréguennec house became theirs for a few months until their temporary cottage was built.

This blog focuses on the night of the fire. The details are patchy; although Gee continued to give Rohan her weekly Russian lesson throughout the summer, she was reticent to speak about what happened. In fact, both she and Jerome have found recounting their experience difficult, and before starting any discussion would ask that people do not ask direct questions – trying to answer these was simply too disturbing. In addition to what Gee and Jerome have told us, I have added insights learned from reading articles published in local newspapers and from hearing stories told by mutual friends.

The house that burnt down, which was made of wood, bricks and stone, was actually designed by Jerome, so he knew his way around! After an evening with no hint of trouble, they put Lucas to bed and later went to bed themselves. An hour or so later Jerome was woken with a start as their cat (see second illustration) let his flap door close with an almighty bang – normally it makes little more than a dull thud. Puzzled, Jerome went to the bedroom door to investigate only to be greeted by the flashing red of flames and the smell of smoke. He woke Gee who rushed to the room next door to wake up and grab a sleeping Lucas and then, led by Jerome through thick smoke, they found their way to the front door to escape into the open air. On their way, Jerome had managed to pick up his car keys and a treasured bassoon. 

They ran up the drive and jumped into Jerome’s car in the street only to see the burning roof of the house that they had just left collapse into the main room on the ground floor. If they had taken just two minutes longer to leave they would have been caught under that very inferno. 

With nothing but their night attire, and having great difficulty in rousing their neighbours, it was in the car that the three huddled till the fire service arrived. And from the car they watched as all their possessions went up in flames or were destroyed by the water from the firemen’s hoses. Within a few hours, a couple recently living comfortably in their family home, found themselves with no money, no bank cards, no passports, no birth certificates, no books, no files, no family heirlooms, no personal treasures, no photos, no computers, no mobile phones, no diaries, no food, no toys, no clothes (outerwear, overwear or underwear) apart from what they were wearing – nothing. And of course no roof over their heads. Just as they escaped, so did their pets; the dog, who lived in his kennel outside, ran to safety, and the cat who had left earlier soon returned.

In the next days, the council, together with friends and acquaintances, provided a series of homes, brought them clothes, and Lucas was inundated with Lego blocks from the fire brigade. And even though the insurance company, the local library, the bank and the prefecture helped out, their feelings of helplessness and vulnerability –  even despair – were often difficult to cope with. But, within days of moving into our house the flat-pack cottage they had ordered was delivered, and although assembling, fitting out (electricity, plumbing, insulating), decorating and furnishing could take months, the first steps to independence had started. When finished they will then start to rebuild their new house where once stood the old one, and Gee has already named it ‘Phoenix’.

What has been clear from the start is that this was a family facing tragedy, devastation and profound sadness. However with resourcefulness, resilience, courage and fortitude, and with one very special additional ingredient – they live together in a marriage of great closeness – they have managed to overcome the challenges

The first illustration shows a picture of a burning house. The second illustration is a photograph of Puma who helped save their lives.

For helping me write this blog, I would like to thank Gee, Jerome, Sarah, Rohan and Vivien.

* The names of the members of the family have been changed.