Woman rebuilds to restart life after fire

With the Charlotte Fire contained and closed roads finally opening back up, it seems like this days-long disaster is finally coming to an end.

But for the people who lost everything, the process is just beginning.

Chris Walker is taking a big leap — she’s restarting her life by rebuilding her home.

“I was trying to stay away because I knew — I was pretty sure — that my house was gone. And there really wasn’t anything — I wanted to allow other people who had a need to come up here. But I had a trooper escort and I’m glad I did because it wasn’t pleasant for him, but it was incredibly emotional,” Walker said about seeing what the fire did to her house for the first time. It was burned to the ground.

Monday was the third time she visited, and this time, Walker came up with a plan. She already has a contractor drawing up a design for her new house.

“You’ve got to face it one way or the other, and the sooner I face, the better off I’m going to be,” Walker said.

But Walker didn’t come to this remarkably calm point of view out of nowhere. She said she wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of family and friends.

“I cried, a lot. I just surrounded myself with friends,” she said.

Now, surrounded by the rubble of the things that used to be — her bathtub, half ivory, half charred; her kitchen appliances, twisted together like the curls of burnt juniper branches; a coke can sitting next to a chunk of ash, a reminder of easier times; Walker is unflappably optimistic. Without the fast action of firefighters and police, this could have been worse, she said.

“I still didn’t believe until I saw it with my own eyes, I didn’t believe it, but when I got up here and saw how bad it was, I am just overly grateful for these people that were out here,” she said about the first responders.

She’s also grateful to have found a company she trusts. Cody Fresh with Platinum Construction out of Idaho Falls hopes he can do something to help people move on from the destruction.

“I hope that when it’s all done, they can look back and be excited about the new possibilities and the new page in their book,” he said.

After the smoke cleared, the only things left standing from Walker’s home were her chimney and her seemingly untouched American flag. As she scanned the property with her son, Robert, she said the flag carries meaning for her and her family.

“My son’s a Marine and it just makes me very proud and it was very hopeful for me,” Walker said.

And it let her know there is a future ahead.

Walker urged everyone to stay away from the fireworks this Independence Day.

For everyone who is rebuilding, the city is warning about potential scams. Fresh wants victims to make sure the contractor they use has all of its licensing up to date to make sure you’re working with a reputable company. He said don’t be afraid to ask for a client list and do your own background check.