'It was a tragedy to get this, but it's a miracle to keep it'
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BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. -- The Sutton family lost just about everything they own in a house fire over the weekend.
But they didn't lose one very precious item, and they consider that a miracle.
With just the clothes on their backs and the shoes on their feet, every day is now a struggle for Nicholas Sutton, his partner and their two children. The same is true for Nick Durrant and his wife.
On Saturday, a massive fire destroyed their rental home on Bainbridge Island.
"It's day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute," said Sutton.
Durrant believes the fire may have started in the garage where wood-staining chemicals were being stored.
"That material combusted and basically created a fireball, and lit that whole work bench on fire," said Durrant.
"It went so fast," said wife Kari Durrant. "And by the time I got outside down the street, it was already halfway through the house."
Both families lost everything.
Two days after the fire, it was Durrant who went back inside the house and pulled out a safe. The contents inside were spared, but Durrant says it was the item laying on top that brought tears to his best friend's eyes.
"(The tears came) when I told him, 'I think I found your dad's flag,'" said Durrant.
That flag was Sutton's father's burial flag. John Sutton was a Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Marines.
That flag was the only thing Sutton could hold onto, and he considers its survival a miracle.
"He never got to meet my youngest son, so this is a way for us to continue and tell my youngest son about him," said Sutton.
Investigators say the house is a total loss, but the two families who survived say all is not lost.
"The heat of that fire really is welding us together as a family,” Durrant said. “I can't imagine being without any of them.”
“It was a tragedy to get this, but it's a miracle to keep it,” said Sutton of the flag.
Both families are currently staying at a local hotel.
Donations can be made to the “Fort Street house fire” fund at any Wells Fargo/Wachovia Bank branch.
But they didn't lose one very precious item, and they consider that a miracle.
With just the clothes on their backs and the shoes on their feet, every day is now a struggle for Nicholas Sutton, his partner and their two children. The same is true for Nick Durrant and his wife.
On Saturday, a massive fire destroyed their rental home on Bainbridge Island.
"It's day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute," said Sutton.
Durrant believes the fire may have started in the garage where wood-staining chemicals were being stored.
"That material combusted and basically created a fireball, and lit that whole work bench on fire," said Durrant.
"It went so fast," said wife Kari Durrant. "And by the time I got outside down the street, it was already halfway through the house."
Both families lost everything.
Two days after the fire, it was Durrant who went back inside the house and pulled out a safe. The contents inside were spared, but Durrant says it was the item laying on top that brought tears to his best friend's eyes.
"(The tears came) when I told him, 'I think I found your dad's flag,'" said Durrant.
That flag was Sutton's father's burial flag. John Sutton was a Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Marines.
That flag was the only thing Sutton could hold onto, and he considers its survival a miracle.
"He never got to meet my youngest son, so this is a way for us to continue and tell my youngest son about him," said Sutton.
Investigators say the house is a total loss, but the two families who survived say all is not lost.
"The heat of that fire really is welding us together as a family,” Durrant said. “I can't imagine being without any of them.”
“It was a tragedy to get this, but it's a miracle to keep it,” said Sutton of the flag.
Both families are currently staying at a local hotel.
Donations can be made to the “Fort Street house fire” fund at any Wells Fargo/Wachovia Bank branch.
