In February of 2011, I had to flee my house as it burned to the ground behind me. I was 12 years old, and I remember it vividly although it was 1:30 am on a Saturday. I remember my older brother, Andy, running into my room eyes wide, “Tyler, wake up! We need to leave, the house is on fire!” I was tired, I was stupefied. The house looked fine to me, but as I nonchalantly strolled down the stairs, I saw a blaze pouring in through the mudroom window. I went for my new Nike’s, but I noticed that fire had already devoured them. So I ran with my mother and brother out the front door and into the frigid winter air.

I remember watching my house going up in flames from the ice glazed street. I was wearing only basketball shorts, a t-shirt, and no shoes. My mother picked me up off the frozen ground and cradled me for several minutes after I said, ¨My feet are cold.¨

My house burned unbelievably fast, not like a smoldering campfire, more like a cardboard box soaked in gasoline. Ironically, vinyl siding is made of petroleum, or oil. Standing in the street, I remember wondering where my father was. My mother was screaming to him but we had no idea where he was. I found out later that my father was frantically running through the backyard in two feet of snow trying to get the faucet running. It’s impossible to try and think straight when you are in a panic. Proof? We had several fire extinguishers around the house. Andy had to be the only one who had his wits about him. He awoke all of us, called 911 on his cell, and even grabbed his jacket and shoes. It’s like he had done this before. I will never forget the night my brother saved my life.

When the paramedics arrived with the fire department, they checked my feet for frostbite since I was standing barefoot in the snow for nearly 15 minutes. Our neighbors invited us inside their house for refuge. I remember glancing out the window and seeing my whole entire house completely engulfed in flames. It was so bright, it was hard to look at. Ham Lake is an unfortunate place for house fires, there are no fire hydrants. The firefighters had to drag large sleds filled with water behind their trucks, and they made several trips back to the station. Back at my neighbor’s house, my grandparents arrived. I remember seeing my grandmother sobbing as she hugged us. My father was brought in by the paramedics. He had slipped and fell, cutting himself. The paramedics were concerned about a concussion. My mother cried and hugged him as he walked in the door. My grandparents then brought us to their house in their Ford Edge, my brother and I sitting in the trunk. It was a miracle that they had just bought a house so close to us prior to this tragedy.

Later that morning I overheard the cause was an electrical surge. It was just a freak accident. A freak accident that costed my family hundreds of thousands of dollars, and almost our lives. I remember being on a car ride with a friend a few months later, and he asked me a question I couldn’t come close to answer: “If you could have gotten one thing back what would it be?” It was at that moment I started to realize how frail our existence is and how much we take it for granted. Growing up isn’t about age, it’s about one’s perspectives and facing challenges never meant for a child to endure. I could have lost my family that day, and I realized my loved ones are the only “things” I need in life.