WESTERVILLE, Ohio — A central Ohio family lost nearly everything after their trailer home caught fire on the Fourth of July. No one was injured, but two cats did not survive, and the home was a total loss.
Taylor Bladen lived at the home with her husband, Wilbert, and their four kids. They also have a baby due next month.
"We had a stockpile going for our new baby and we just haven't got the chance to look through them to see if any of them are still salvageable,” Bladen said.
Bladen is talking about the packages of diapers lying next to what remains of her home off of Fancher Road near Westerville. The fire broke out the night of the Fourth of July.
Bladen said her kids were with relatives that night, as she had to rush to the hospital with Wilbert as she was experiencing flu-like symptoms. Her family helped the kids in lighting sparklers and fireworks that night and placed the leftovers in the trash bin next to their trailer. After playing with their own fireworks, they went to the New Albany fireworks show.
"It’s a thought that crosses my mind every day that I am very grateful that my family took my kids out that night to the fireworks and they were not here when the fire started,” Bladen said.
Her kids, all 7 years old and under, are now trying to make sense of what happened, especially her 3-year-old son.
"Every time we pass by, he says that our house went boom, so it’s definitely hard,” Bladen said.
Now they’re starting the process of slowly buying new belongings, both for the baby on the way and her four other kids.
"Toys, books, school supplies... we have two kids’ birthdays this month and everything was destroyed,” Bladen said.
All of the new purchases are being paid for out of pocket, as their home was not covered by insurance.
"Sometimes you have to pick and choose what is paid and what is not, and for us it was food on the table versus having insurance on our home,” Bladen said.
Bladen said she keeps reminding herself everything will eventually be replaced. She added she’s grateful for the community rallying around her and supporting her family in any way they can.
"We're just trying to start over one day at a time,” Bladen said.
If you’d like to support the Bladen family, you can donate to the GoFundMe here.
Ian Seum, public information officer for the Harlem Township Fire Department, said he and his crew were the first to arrive at the scene that night.
"We see it happen a lot, especially around the fourth of July, New Years as well,” Seum said.
Seum said fireworks and sparkler-related fires are common, and it's important to properly dispose of them to avoid these incidents from happening.
"It is definitely important to ensure that they are cool to the touch of you handling them before they go into anything, any trash can or anything like that,” Seum said.