Farmington family’s house destroyed in fire one month after adopting three siblings
The Brosam family (Supplied)
FARMINGTON, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Brosam family moved into their new home in Farmington four months ago to make room for three siblings they officially adopted last month. Last week, a fire at their home destroyed nearly everything they have.
On Wednesday morning Travis Brosam said he didn’t notice anything different as he was working to get his two youngest boys to the bus stop and drive his 16-year-old, Amanda to school. A few minutes after he left, his wife Amy got home from the gym and noticed a "funny smell" in the house.
"There was black smoke coming out of the vent, so I went and called 911 right away," Amy said.
Their 14-year-old daughter Lily was home too and ran out of the house after they discovered the smoke.
"All of a sudden my mom called me to go into her room and I see smoke coming up," Lily said. "I just didn’t know what was happening so I just got out of the house."
Travis explains the family would later learn that there was a hole in the gas line to their dryer. The gas made its way into their basement utility room where it met the furnace and started a fire.
The fire and smoke traveled through the house’s ventilation system sending smoke and soot into every room in the house, forcing the fire department to tear down walls, punch holes in ceilings and destroy most of their belongings with either smoke or water damage.
"You realize real quick you literally have nothing," Travis said.
Just four months earlier the Brosam family moved into their home in Farmington to make room for three siblings they were adopting. In April, 9-year-old Eddy came to live with Amy, Travis and their daughter Amanda. When the Brosams decided to adopt Eddy, he asked if they would also adopt his sister Lily and 8-year-old brother Ruben. Travis and Amy said "of course" and moved forward with turning their family of three into a family of six.
Some of the damage inside the family's Farmington home. (FOX 9)
The adoption was finalized by the court just 30 days ago. Amy and Travis had taken some time off of work to spend with their new family during the holidays. Then, unexpectedly, their home was destroyed.
"Now we’re turning around just trying to scramble. Where are we going to live? Where are we going to get food? We need clothes," Travis said.
Now all six family members, and two dogs, are living in two hotel rooms in Apple Valley while they try to get back on their feet. Everything they have with them was either bought new or given to them, but they’re still struggling to meet their basic needs, let alone make this first Christmas together a special one.
"The kids all want to go play with some toys like dude, I’m sorry, you don’t’ have any toys anymore. What you have is in this room." Travis said.
The Brosams are hoping to find a more permanent place in time for their first Christmas together.
A family friend has set up a GoFundMe page to help the Brosams.