San Mateo woman grieves after fire: Dog died in last week’s blaze, vet bills outstanding

“We used to keep a three-months supply of dog food here,” she said while looking under the staircase blackened by the blaze. “That chest of drawers over there used to belong to my dad, it’s sort of still standing.”

A week earlier, she had been sitting in the back of a police car after being arrested when, in fear for her and her boyfriend’s 12-year-old chocolate lab Buddy, she tried to enter the smoldering apartment while officers and firefighters worked the scene. She and her boyfriend had been at a friend’s home when they heard about the fire online.

Sandwiched between two other units, O’Brien’s condominium on Ticonderoga Drive was first reported to have caught fire around 10:45 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16. It quickly rose to four alarms and has been estimated to have caused nearly $1 million worth of damage. O’Brien’s home, which she shared with her boyfriend, was considered a total loss. Neighbors in the five-unit building experienced a range of impacts from minor smoke damage to residents needing to vacate for more major repairs.

The fire was primarily contained to O’Brien’s unit, where she’s lived for the last 19 years and, after having some financial difficulties, took out a interest-only mortgage loan. About a year ago, she lost her full-time job with the American Red Cross and now works a contract position with the San Mateo County Election’s Office.

Now, she’s temporarily living out of a motel and feeling the sting of the Bay Area’s housing crisis as she looks for an affordable apartment that will allow dogs — their second dog Gil was with the couple when the fire broke out. O’Brien said she expects it to be about eight months to a year before her home will be livable.

Not yet sure where she’ll end up, the hardest part of it was losing Buddy, O’Brien said. About a year ago, she and Buddy spent a harrowing night cuddled together for warmth after falling halfway down a beachside cliff in Daly City. Her boyfriend, who’d fallen to the beach below, went to get help. Rescuers arrived around 3 a.m. and took O’Brien first, a move she now regrets. Shortly after she was airlifted, O’Brien said Buddy fell further down the cliff and broke his leg.

“Buddy stayed with me all night on the cliff and he kept me warm and he kept me from being so scared and then Buddy fell,” O’Brien said. “He broke his leg and he’s probably been in pain ever since. And then Buddy dies in the fire? It’s not right.”

O’Brien said she was committed to seeing him get better and put nearly $10,000 worth of veterinarian bills on her credit card, which she’s still paying off. A sympathetic neighbor started a GoFundMe campaign and O’Brien is thankful for any assistance.

Going to work has been difficult, particularly since her drive to the county Elections Office on Tower Road overlooks her condominium complex. She’s grateful for the clothes people have donated, but chuckled at her luck while pointing to a rash she developed after wearing a hand-me-down sweater.

She said nearly all of her possessions are gone and, having worked for the Red Cross for more than 12 years, she’s seen others in her position.

“I’ve met people in the same situation who are put out of their apartments, or their homes by fire. People come out and they just have a couple pictures that are singed. And I had the greatest empathy, I would go spend my free time doing what I could to help others. And now, I’m the one needing help. It’s weird that way,” O’Brien said.

The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, but fire officials’ theories include it either being related to a computer that was left plugged in on a bed or from a cigarette.

She recalled returning home around 8 p.m. after getting off work before heading out to a friend’s house with her boyfriend. She brought her dog Gil with her, but opted to leave Buddy at home as he appeared to have been having hip problems. It’s rare they take one dog and not the other, she said, while emotionally going over the chain of events from that night.

She and her boyfriend heard about the fire online and rushed home. O’Brien said she wasn’t told that Buddy had died in the fire and, in a frenzy, tried to call for him. She said the apartment was no longer ablaze but she tried to enter after police told her to leave. O’Brien said she suddenly found herself under arrest in the back of a police car where she sat for about an hour before they informed her the dog had died.

“I was just crying and praying for Buddy,” O’Brien said. “Your house is on fire, and you’re alone in the back of a police car, you didn’t set your house on fire, it was just devastating to be by myself at that time.”

Moving forward, she’s hoping to find temporary housing with her other dog Gil while her home is repaired. She recognizes that many of her possessions might not be compensated for as she didn’t increase her insurance policy over the years — something she urges other homeowner to consider.

Knowing that it will take time to rebuild, she hopes to at least pay off her credit card debt from Buddy’s veterinarian bills.

“We just have so much hanging over our heads right now,” O’Brien said. “I know it sounds like a lot of money for a dog … but he was just so loyal.”

BUDDY’s Fund on GoFundMe can be found at gofundme.com/2pe5tbkg

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

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