“Everybody’s offered to help,” said Ralph Harrod, a Springfield city firefighter and owner of the home on Rocky Point Road that burned down. “People have given us stuff and we don’t even know who they are. We just found a check behind our house for $200 and we don’t even know the people.”
Harrod was on duty Feb. 4 when his son called to tell him their home of 11 years was on fire.
The fire, caused by a faulty outlet in the garage, had spread through the house by the time he arrived. Thanks to his son, Brock Gnaul, his daughter, Alyssa Harrod, and dog Whiskey got out safely.
“When I was driving to the fire. my husband called and said we lost everything,” said Christie Harrod. “But it can be replaced, and my kids got out and my dog, and that’s what matters.”
Since then, the family has received groceries from neighbors, clothes, furniture and a vacant home from friends Pat and Sandy Casey in their kids’ school district. There is even a donation fund set up for them at Fifth Third Bank.
“This just doesn’t happen for everybody,” Ralph Harrod said. “I’ve been at fires in Springfield that we put out and we leave and that’s it. I didn’t realize what it’s like. But we feel very fortunate and lucky, and humbled.”
Friends even searched through the wreckage for hours to recover two prized possessions: A pouch of jewelry and a scrapbook of Christie’s 10-month-old daughter Paige, who died in 1994.
“We’ve never been on the receiving end, we’ve been on the giving end,” Christie Harrod said. “It’s hard to receive when you’re used to giving.”
The family hopes to start rebuilding the home once the weather improves. The home will be built and designed by friend and retired firefighter Jimmy Day, Ralph Harrod said.
“It’s amazing how much people have done, especially when the economy is bad, everyone’s struggling ...,” Harrod said. “All we want to do is thank everyone... .”
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