We lost our house north of Duluth, in '88. Total loss. Kids were at school and dad was in the hospital after back surgery. My stepmom was at the hospital with my dad. My uncle drove by on the way to work and saw the smoke, called the FD. We lived in the country, so by the time the FD was there, the house was pretty much done.
Most stuff can be replaced, but stuff like pictures and family heirlooms can't be. It was pretty rough on my step mom for a lot of years actually.
