By Kacie Svoboda
The smell of smoke—a cross between the scent of a typical campfire and the sharper odor of burnt plastic still permeates Jessica Johnson’s Hill City home. If not for that smell, it would be hard to determine right away that there had been a fire. To the right of the front door, there is a bare room stripped to the timber frame and sub-flooring.
“That’s my kitchen,” Johnson explained.
Johnson returned home Thursday, Feb. 19, to the scorched remnants of her kitchen and the body of her dog, 8-year-old komondor, Everest. The fire had burned itself out due to a lack of oxygen. It appears that her coffee maker started the blaze.
Johnson and her family ripped out the cabinets and floors on Friday night and since Feb. 23, a cleaning crew has been working to scrub away the smoke damage coating the majority of the home. The walls on the bathroom are still tinged with grey but Johnson is grateful that the bathroom will mainly need a coat of paint.
“After they finished cleaning the first time, we didn’t think we could save it,” Johnson said. “But we had them come in a second time.”
Some badly burned spots on the ceiling still look like they were freshly put out, even after the cleaning. But most of the house has responded well to the scrub- down.
Johnson, who has been staying at her parents’ home in Rapid City, has been returning to Hill City daily to check on the progress of the clean-up.
“I have my good days and bad days. Actually, more like good moments and bad moments,” Johnson said. “One second, I think it’s OK and the next I’m crying in a bathroom.”
The most tears come when she thinks of the loss of Everest.
“The hardest part of the whole thing was the loss of him,” Johnson said. “I’m going to miss him for a long time. Losing him was like losing a friend and family member.”
Johnson tries to find comfort in the fact that Everest died doing what he was meant to do.
“He died trying to protect our home,” she said.
Johnson’s two other dogs were shut in the home’s basement during the fire, safe from the threat of smoke inhalation. They are both doing fine, but are a bit disoriented from the sudden events.
Johnson has been grateful for the outpouring of assistance she and her surviving dogs have received. One of Johnson’s surviving dogs was adopted from the Ogallala Pet Project — which donated toys, beds and treats.
“My dogs were so happy,” Johnson said. “I lost everything that I had for them in the fire.”
Her dogs also received complimentary cleanings and beds from 4Paws Grooming of Rapid City. Johnson said this was especially appreciated because they both still smelled like smoke.
Johnson’s Canyon Lake Elementary co-workers have also stepped in to replace some of what she lost in the fire. Her co-workers have started a fund to help refurbish her kitchen and one coworker gave her plants because all of hers had been lost. Another coworker donated clothes as Johnson’s were in Hill City and smell like smoke.
“It’s amazing how supportive people can be.” said Johnson.
The repair of her home will be an ongoing process. One of the priorities is to install a home monitoring system with a special smoke alarm that will send a notification to her and other designated individuals’ phones.
“I’m taking steps to ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again,” Johnson said.
Johnson and her family have been trying to find someone to help with drywall in the kitchen and paint throughout the house. She would welcome any recommendations. She is also still resupplying her kitchen. She lost everything—including appliances, dishes and utensils.
Those interested in aiding Johnson can contact Canyon Lake Elementary School at 394-1817.
