Medfield Family Gives Special Thanks After House Fire

On the day after Thanksgiving, many people start thinking about holiday gift giving and what presents they will buy for their friends and family. 

That is the way the day started at the Fisher house in Medfield but it changed quickly with a phone call from the Knoxville Fire Department.

Matthew Fisher, 25 (a 2007 graduate of Medfield High School), was visiting his parents, Lucille and Mark Fisher of Medfield, along with his girlfriend Justine Merritt, 26, when her cell phone rang around 9 a.m. on Black Friday. Matthew took the call.

“The Fire Chaplain informed me that we had a house fire overnight that started around 3:30 a.m. in the laundry room and that about half of the house was gone. I guess there were 40 foot flames through the roof,” said Fisher who is a graduate student in the Social Work Program at the University of Tennessee where Justine is a graduate student in the Mathematics Department.

The couple was shocked and upset but thankful that they, and their rescue dog (whose crate is located near the source of the fire), were visiting Medfield and not home at the time.

“While at home in Medfield, we were imagining what we had lost, and what we had to do in the next few weeks; it was overwhelming. We tend to be pretty sentimental people - we could tell you where everything came from in our house - so the thought of losing some of our stuff was like losing some memories. And then there's the "what if" thoughts like: What if we were there? Would we have woken up? Would we have caught it in time to rescue our dog from her crate which is in the laundry room?”

The couple cut their vacation short to return to Tennessee where they have been living in a friend’s basement until they can find housing.

They did not did not have renter’s insurance and lost the majority of their belongings.

Matthew said everything in the kitchen, office, and living room was destroyed except for Justine’s $3,000 violin which was close to the fire, Matthew's Tedi Bruschi and Jason Varitek shirts (see photos), and possibly his school books which he is still trying to salvage. The bedrooms were not touched by fire but they are still trying to wash out the smell from their clothes. The mattresses have been thrown out because of their toxic smell.

Matthew said they were able to recover a few sentimental things such as:

• a table he made in college that friends had signed the bottom of (Matthew is a woodworker in his spare time)
• a few magnets from places they have visited
• a St. Francis card he had bought in Italy
• a few photographs
• the jewelry box Justine's grandfather had made  

Justine was mostly concerned with her violin which was less than 10 feet from the fire, Matthew said. 

“She's played since she was young, majored in music and math in college. The violin was about $3,000, and she compared the process of choosing one to how they chose a wand in Harry Potter. But, luckily, it was relatively untouched when we returned to the house. When she played it for the first time, it was pretty moving.”

Matthew said he and Justine are “doing alright” as they try to piece their household back together.

“We are definitely feeling the after-effects of the event, feeling generally unsettled, homeless, having some odd dreams; but, we're both feeling incredibly lucky for all the support from friends, family, and people that don't even know us but feel compelled to help.”

A blessing - Matthew, Justine, and their puppy Maia who they had rescued from Young-Williams Animal Center in Knoxville were all visiting Matthew's parents for Thanksgiving when the fire started. The fire which was caused by faulty electrical wiring destroyed most of their belongings…They did not have renters insurance.  Hundreds of dollars, if not thousands of dollars in college books were destroyed by the water and elements. Furniture, clothing, kitchen ware, etc. were lost.  They realize how blessed they are to have not been home but they need to replace and restore many things.  They both will graduate from the University of Tennessee this coming Summer. Any donations will be appreciated.  

Matthew said, “I think in times like this you really see the true character of people. People are innately good, that's very clear to me. Events like this help you forget the small stuff and remember what's important: It's not money, a big house, or material things -- it's connection, it's people.”