SOUTHAMPTON — Last month, a fire broke out inside Robert Floyd’s home, burning a significant portion of his barn as well as his attic and causing a ceiling to collapse inside his home.
Just a few weeks later, Floyd, town moderator and owner of the Robert Floyd Gallery and Learning Center, found himself in another situation involving a fire.
On Monday, Floyd was shopping for all new dog beds, toys, bowls and pet products for his two dogs. He said the cart was full as he had to replace most of the pets’ items that were damaged in the fire.
While out on his errand, Floyd received a call from the Homewood Suites in Holyoke, where he is staying temporarily. A blown lightbulb caused a small fire in the linen closet of the hotel, just two doors down from his room, he said.
Floyd said the fire was quickly contained by sprinklers, but the water flowed under his door and into his room, damaging five boxes of historical and financial documents he had saved from his home.
On Dec. 16, a fire broke out at Floyd’s 1772 home on East Street. At first, Floyd thought his dryer had caused the fire. He opened a door to find billowing black smoke, which he said looked like a scene from a Harry Potter movie.
Floyd quickly called 911 and gathered his two dogs. His partner, Linda Emerson, ran out barefoot onto the icy street.
Fire departments from Southampton, Easthampton, Holyoke, Westhampton and Westfield spent hours battling the flames.
Southampton Fire Chief John Workman determined the cause was loose mortar between the bricks of an old chimney connected to a lit wood stove. The fire broke out in the breezeway connecting the house to the barn, a storage room in the barn and attic, Workman said. He estimated the damages at about $150,000.
Floyd returned to the home the next day to retrieve important belongings — portraits of his parents, jewelry, passports, cameras, clothes and the boxes of documents. Some items such as electronics were ruined.
He placed the boxes on the floor of his hotel room. However, when the sprinklers sprayed water throughout the hallway outside his hotel room, Floyd said water flowed into his room, soaked the bottom of the boxes.
He said the ink on old bank account records “washed off like chalk.” He froze other stacks of documents to help restore them. He said one box contained a few naval documents from his parents that served in World War II.
Floyd is unsure of the restoration costs for the documents. As a member of the town’s cemetery commission and former chairman of the conservation commission, Floyd said he has acquired a taste and appreciation for the past.
“How do you put value on history?” Floyd said.
Floyd said the hotel has extended his stay and he has moved his things to another room down the hall.
Floyd said he is unsure when his home will be restored, but for the time being he will stay in a trailer on the property. Floyd said he will be close to home and his dogs will be able to roam free throughout the yard.
For now, every day is different for Floyd as he works to restore his home.
“We have no idea what the day is going to be,” Floyd said. “Tomorrow is another day.”
Although Floyd said his time without a home has been shaky, he looks at the experience from a positive perspective.
“Life is good,” he said.
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.