This A-frame home, located five miles north of Henderson, was destroyed by an early morning fire on Tuesday, March 3 – courtesy photo
It’s a devastating loss when there is a house fire that completely destroys a home and its contents. “It was such a happy place and very serene and relaxing,” said Valerie Scheil, whose husband, Todd, and brother Chad own the home that was built by their father Richard in the late 70s. Richard Scheil lived there until his death in 2018, and since then his sons have spent a few years renovating and modernizing the home.
Early last Tuesday morning, the A-frame home nestled in the woods on seven acres located five miles north of Henderson caught fire and was too far gone to save when the Bradshaw fire department arrived, according to Todd Scheil.
“By the time we arrived at 5:45 a.m., the garage was fully engulfed, and it had moved into the entire home,” said Bradshaw volunteer fireman Tyler Newton. The Henderson and Hampton Fire Departments were called to assist, and they all stayed until noon.
The site of the house a few days after the fire – HeartlandBeat photo
The Scheils had recently rented the house out to AJ and Ashley Bower, who had just moved in with their family a week before the fire. “We are so thankful that they all got out because it could have been really bad,” said Todd.
According to Scheils, a friend of the Bowers who was sleeping on the couch, got up, noticed smoke coming from the garage, and alerted the family. Unfortunately, the Bowers lost everything in the fire. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help them get back on their feet, as they did not have renters’ insurance.
“Ashley had installed smoke detectors about three days before the fire, but it didn’t even go off in the living room until the family was coming down the stairs, so it sounds like it went really fast,” said Valerie.
The A-frame was a very unique structure that Todd’s father built himself around a single wide trailer. “It was kinda all pieced together, but it was pretty cool. He added a double garage, and there were a couple of nice decks,” said Todd. He remembers fishing in the pond his father stocked with his brother and friends while growing up.
The photo on the left is of one of the decks attached to the single-wide, the A-frame was built around, and the pond Richard built on the property – courtesy photos
Even though nothing seemed to be left after the fire, Ashley was able to retrieve one special keepsake. “The thing Ashley was the saddest about was losing a ring that her father had given her years ago. And they found it! Her husband, AJ, and her dad had dug for quite a while, and AJ finally found it. So that’s kind of amazing,” said Valerie.
Not only was the exterior of the A-frame unique, but the interior had a cabin-like feel, with a beautiful handcrafted log staircase.
Todd remembers his dad half-buried an old van on a hillside, and they used it as a fort when they were kids. His dad continued to plant trees, making the property pretty secluded, which attracted plenty of critters. It wasn’t unusual to see deer up close, and Todd remembers they had a variety of pets through the years.
Although the A-frame is gone, the memories remain for the Scheils of a unique home that can’t be replaced.
