House at top of Vachereau destroyed by midnight fire

by Dan McClelland

A popular Tupper Lake couple lost their house and all its contents in a dramatic attic fire shortly after midnight Wednesday.

The fire occurred at 20 Vachereau Street, which has been owned for the past two years by Phyllis and Mike Larabie. Unfortunately, there was no insurance coverage in place to cover any of the loss.

The Tupper Lake Fire Department was called about 12:15p.m. and firefighters found the attic area of the large house fully involved upon their arrival. Departments and volunteers from both Piercefield and Paul Smith's also assisted at the scene.

The firefighters fought the stubborn blaze for hours as the mercury dipped well below zero F.

Phyllis and Mike stood by in their night clothes, helplessly watching their life go up in smoke.

Now homeless the couple are currently staying with Phyllis' mother, Carol, on Berkley Ave.

Mike Larabie said this week the fire in the attic may have started as early as 11p.m. but the couple was unaware of it.

“We were in bed reading and watching television in a back bedroom of the main floor when the lights flickered,” he explained.

When they went upstairs to explore they found the electricity in one bedroom and the bathroom was off. Twice they went into the basement to check the breaker and both times the power was restored temporarily. A third time the electricity remained on.

It is believed the two rooms on the second floor and the attic were all on the same circuit. The access to the attic was from a pull-down ladder in the second floor hallway.

About 15 minutes later the breaker tripped again.

Phyllis was on the phone with her sister Melissa Roberge about 11:40p.m. when the lights in their bedroom flickered.

“We worried the power in the neighborhood was about to go out so we went to bed so I told Melissa I would talk to her the next day.”

As they laid in bed they heard a loud pop and a bang upstairs. “We thought the dog had knocked something over but then realized our dog was in our bedroom,” Phyllis recalled.

“We got up and looked around the kitchen and the living room and nothing was out of the ordinary.”

Mrs. Larabie said she could hear a soft trickling sound coming from the second floor “and I thought maybe a pipe had busted.

The attic stairway was partially down as Phyllis had planned to go up earlier in the evening and sort through her Christmas decorations.

As she began to climb the stairs she noticed the entire ring of the attic portal in flames.

“I screamed to Mike that our house was on fire, call 911 and get the dog out! I didn't realize I had the phone in my hand, so I ended up calling.”

Although they didn't see it as they evacuated the house, flames had apparently started coming out of the roof at the back.

Mike returned inside briefly to retrieve his wallet and cell phone and in the seconds he was inside, flames began erupting from the roof peak at the front.

By then too smoke was starting to descend into the second and main floors, he remembered.

The firemen were able to contain the blaze to the attic area, but the house suffered extensive smoke and water damage throughout. In the days following the fire the couple was able to retrieve some articles of clothing which were able to be washed.

Most of the appliances were damaged beyond repair and a refrigerator in the kitchen literally melted. All the furniture and contents of the house, including family photographs, were lost.

“The smoke damage is the worst, but there was a lot of water damage to everything,” Phyllis noted with sadness.

In addition to their Christmas tree and Christmas decorations stored in the attic, there were gifts the couple had purchased for their children and grandchildren for Friday's Christmas.

Gifts like several personal computers for two of their grandchildren were stored in one of the front bedrooms and were destroyed.

Another bedroom was occupied by granddaughter Erin Collins' extensive lego collection- and much of that melted.

In another room in the back of the house Phyllis' son Jordan had furniture and other family belongings stored until he secures a new and larger apartment. All of that was ruined.

“The outpouring of donations from family members and friends has been incredible,” Mrs. Larabie said of the generosity they have seen from the community. “The day after the fire people were coming up to us with checks...we have been so very touched.”

Several family members and friends have donated checks of $500 or more and some as high as $1,000 and $1,200. Some people too have donated boxes of Christmas gifts for Mike, Phyllis, their children and grandchildren.

Some of the Christmas gifts have been replaced through generous donations from Tupper Lake Central School District faculty and staff where Phyllis' daughter Celeste works as a teacher aide.

The volunteers from the VFW Post 3120 where Mike is active staged a benefit spaghetti dinner Sunday which apparently sold out and which was earmarked for family Christmas gifts lost in the fire.

A Go Fund Me account started for the Larabies has raised over $8,000 so far which will help Mike and Phyllis furnish an apartment with appliances and furniture and various belongings.

Another account at the Adirondack Regional Federal Credit Union has been set up by family members for family expenses ahead.

See editorial on page 4 this week about plans to create a Larabie Family House Fund.