Photo Story: FEBRUARY FIRE WAS REALLY A MIRACLE

Back on February 2, 2009, a miracle happened on Index-Galena Road on the North Fork of the Skykomish River.  Those were the words of Kelly Rose Schmidt, the petite pretty woman who lost her home and suffered severe burns to her hands and face in an explosion that burned her new 5th wheel to the ground.

“I was cooking one of my favorite snacks in the toaster oven, spam on toast, and it just happened.  The timer went off, the elements in the stove shut off and I opened the toaster oven door.  Little did I know that there was a faulty seal in my fuel tank.  My oven was in a closed cabinet and when I opened the oven door the elements were still glowing.  As I opened the enclosure that the toaster oven was in, the fumes were drawn in from the propane tank.  There was no BOOM, no warning, just a WHOOSH then my arms and face were engulfed in flames.”  Schmidt suffered severe 2nd degree burns to one hand, 2nd degree burns to the other hand and 1st degree burns to her face.  If it wasn’t for her jacket covering her arms, it would have been much worse.

23-year-old Schmidt escaped with her life, which was just the beginning of what she calls a miracle.  The trailer was a total loss (see photos at bottom).  While this webmaster was interviewing Schmidt, she found a burned up knife that her father had given her years ago.  Kelly said with a twinkle in her eyes, “See, another miracle”.

“People that were my friends turned out to be just my buddies and all of my buddies turned out to be friends”.  It took 14 years and a fire to figure that out.  “I had to recuperate from my burns while staying with my brother and his wife for two months in Gold-Bar.”

The Index Café held a spaghetti feed with a suggested $5.00 donation.  Schmidt stated she had so many pain killers in her at the time that it’s kind of foggy, but she remembers being at the Café.  Clothes, money, flatware, bedding and much more were donated to help her get back on her feet but the question still remained, “how do I rebuild?”

More miracles.  One person whom we spoke to ( he called him self JOHN DOE, a volunteer at the Index Fire Department) donated a very large amount of building materials, time, labor and many, many others donated time, food and labor along with more materials to get Schmidt started in her rebuilding phase 2 weeks ago.  Schmidt says she has shed a lot of tears, some out of fear of the unknown but most are tears of joy from all the help she has received.  “Today August 22, 2009,  the roof should be completed but there is much more to do”.

“I’m trying to scrape enough money together to buy sheetrock, flooring and siding.  I also need a dump truck of gravel for the road now.  It’s coming together piece by piece but I have a lot of worries with winter coming soon” Schmidt stated.

“I do want to say thank you to all those that have helped me.  I don’t know what I would have done without my friends and two employers that donated so much”.   “The fire was the most wonderful thing that has happened to me in my life.  I now know my strengths but most of all I know who my friends are”.

Do you want to be a part of this miracle and help Kelly?  Click the CONTACT US button. We will put you in contact with her or if you prefer, we can to it anonymously.

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