Up in Flames: Lessons Learned

News Channel 3 often reports on house fires.

Now, one man is sharing his story about rebuilding his life after losing everything in a fire nearly two years ago in the La Quinta Cove.

News Channel 3's John White brings you the story of Joseph Hern who we first met in August of 2022 when the fire happened.

Hern wanted to share his story to help others.

That night, Joseph watched his home of 43 years burn to ashes. The shorts and t-shirt on his person were the only belongings of Joseph's that would escape the fire.

Joseph points to that night as the beginning of a difficult journey, saying that "to start a new life at 79-years-old is probably one of the most traumatic things you can think in your life."

Hern faced small things like getting his driver's license replaced.

"[The] DMV told me that if I knew my driver's license number, they would issue me a driver's license."

And larger things that still effect Joseph and his family's day-to-day lives.

"My wife still has nightmares about the pets we lost. It will take a while."

He says that some of the trauma from that night will always be with him.

Joseph still has questions about what caused the fire.

"So you think it was the line from IID arcing that started the roof of your home on fire?" asked News Channel 3's John White.

"I do, I do believe that, whether I can prove that or not, it's another story, but I do believe that yes," replied Joseph Hern.   

Joseph took News Channel 3 to the scene of the fire where he showed us what he thinks happened.

"I came around the house... And there was a water hose here at this particular point, and I was spraying water up this side of the house when I seen the power lines down here dancing around," Joseph explained.

News Channel 3 requested documents from the Cal-Fire investigation, which finds the fire to be electrical. The investigation also found that an extension cord to a travel trailer played an important role, showing the power panel as the likely starting point.

Hern believes that it is unlikely that the extension cord was the cause of the fire. "Matter of fact [the extension cord] was pretty much new... It was done properly, because I had a friend who is an electrician come out, do the work on it and make sure it was hooked up correctly."

I-Team also reached out to Imperial Irrigation District, which responded in a statement saying:

"IID does respond and we disconnect the power so that it's safe for first responders and other customers. IID itself, does not investigate the cause of fires."

Just over a year later from the incident, another fire took place right across the street, taking the lives of two of Hern's friends.

"It was heartbreaking, because they were very nice people," Hern expressed.

The cause of that fire also turned out to be electrical, and Joseph says that he questions the odds of that happening just by circumstance.

Along with his lingering questions about the cause of the fire that took his house and pets, Joseph Hern learned a number of lessons that he wants to share to help others that might possibly undergo the same situation.

After the fire, Joseph found out that he was "way underinsured," saying that "if we were insured for the value of the house, which would have been 490K, we would have still been out 125K more."

Initially, Joseph and his family started down the path to rebuild the home, but they said that the costs started to add up quickly...

"We had to go through an EPA report.  We had to go through a surveyors, Then we had to have an engineering report to make sure the foundation on the house is done.  Then and only then after that could we start applying for permits in the city of La Quinta."

Now, Joseph wants everyone to know how common of a mistake underinsuring your house can be.

I-Team checked-in with local Farmer's Insurance Agent Ron Henderson, who recommends that everyone double check their policy, and know that it will cost more than the value of your home to rebuild it.

"This is a big point, not every home policy is the same," said Henderson. There's a reason why some are a little cheaper and some are a little more expensive.  It comes down to coverages and one of the coverages to look for his additional living expenses.  It could only be 12 months. It could be 18 months."

Although Hern was unable to rebuild what had been his family's dream home, he says that he is grateful for their current place that they are working on to make their own.

When asked if it is difficult to return to the scene of the fire, Hern said "no, I've given it up. I found out it's just more comfortable to let it go."