SPOKANE, Wash. — While some fire victims have lost their homes entirely, others face a different challenge: returning to houses that appear intact but are unsafe to inhabit.
Jessie Miller purchased her home in a neighborhood she loved for its proximity to parks, the river and a close-knit community where she could safely walk her two dogs. Despite her house showing no visible structural damage, smoke infiltrated the home, making it unsafe for her and her dogs to live there. She has not returned since the fires struck more than a month ago.
“Just breathing that in is not great for me, it’s not great for the dogs, and we have to think about years from now — I need to make sure this house is livable,” Miller said.
Miller and her two dogs have been staying with her parents while she navigates insurance claims and inspections. Her mother, Kristie Miller, said watching her daughter go through this has been emotionally difficult.
“My daughter purchased this house, this was just a sweet neighborhood, and to drive in here now and see the devastation — it’s surreal,” Kristie Miller said. “It just makes me want to cry that she doesn’t feel safe being here.”
The neighborhood she chose for its safety and sense of belonging has changed dramatically. The most recent inspectors told Miller that everything in her living room — including two televisions, dog beds and toys — must be removed due to smoke contamination.
Miller faces substantial uncertainty about what her insurance will cover. She has no clear answers about whether the company will reimburse her for the items inspectors deemed unsafe, or how much the restoration will ultimately cost.
“It’s stressful because once everything is cleaned, we’re kind of just like starting over, possibly with nothing,” Miller said.
A restoration company is scheduled to visit to provide an official estimate. Once that estimate is complete, Miller will determine how much her insurance will cover and how much she will need to pay out of pocket.
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