Blaze destroys home but not family outlook
<p>The charred skeleton of a two-story Coeur d'Alene home on Hillcrest Circle remains standing Monday morning following a Sunday evening fire that claimed the lives of three small animals. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.</p>
<p>David Evensizer and his son Sean look through the charred remains of their two-story home on Monday on Hillcrest Circle in Coeur d'Alene. The home, which the Evensizers lived in for more than six years, caught flame Sunday evening. No injuries were reported, however the family lost three pets.</p>
<p>The charred skeleton of a two-story Hillcrest Circle Coeur d'Alene home remains standing Monday morning after it burned Sunday evening. The cause of the fire is under investigation.</p>
<p>A 1966 Ford Mustang sits in a partially burnt-out garage of a home that burned down Sunday evening. The car is a Evensizer family heirloom.</p>
<p>The family's home remains partially standing following a Sunday evening blaze that claimed the lives of three animals. The cause of the fire is under investigation.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE — Although the terror he said he previously felt had subsided, there was a moment as Erik Evensizer surveyed the charred remains of his family's Coeur d'Alene home when he realized just how lucky he was.
"To think that a house fire did something like this. That's just nuts," Erik, 15, said Monday. "To think I could have been in there — I'm glad I wasn't."
Erik woke up struggling to breathe Sunday night at his home on Hillcrest Circle in Coeur d'Alene, and told The Press he immediately saw his room in the basement was filled with smoke. He ran quickly to the first floor of the home, as the flames continued to build, and told the only other person at the house, his grandmother, that they needed to get out.
"It was very scary," Erik added.
David Evensizer, Erik's dad, was out running errands with his wife when they received a phone call telling them to get home as quickly as possible. They returned home, where they have lived for more than six years, to find it fully engulfed in flames.
"It's a big loss — it's like someone took a bomb and dropped it on our house," Evensizer said. "But this happened for a reason. We lost our house for a reason and we just have to move on."
The Coeur d'Alene Fire Department was called to the scene, along with Kootenai Fire and Rescue and the Northern Lakes Fire District, at 8:50 p.m. Sunday. Coeur d'Alene Fire Inspector Bobby Gonder told The Press Monday four fire engines, a ladder truck, and two ambulances were dispatched to the scene, which was considered active until 2:04 a.m. Monday.
The cause of the fire, Gonder said, is still unknown. Investigating the blaze will be difficult since there was a complete collapse of the floor on the first story of the home, he added.
"The family is calling the insurance company to see if we can get some heavy equipment in there to clear the way to the area of origin," Gonder said. "Right now, it's an unstable area and we don't want anyone inside until we can get in there without worrying about something coming down on us."
On Monday, the Evensizers surveyed the damage as they tried to recover anything they could. No one was injured in the fire, but Erik said the family lost a dog, Thunderbolt, and possibly two cats.
Only one room of the home was saved from the blaze, and Evensizer said his eldest child, a musician, lost all of his instruments. However, the family said they were trying to remain positive about the situation.
"I'm a chef, and all of my toys are gone," Evensizer said before smiling and pointing to his head. "I've got this tool though, so I'm good."
Evensizer added he and his family are staying with other family members who live in the area, and they're thankful for the offers for help they’ve received through social media.
"We're in the rebuilding phase, just trying to compose ourselves," he said. "We'll get back up and we'll keep moving."