ANDERSON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Kentucky man is grieving the loss of his Anderson County home after a structure fire left it completely uninhabitable.
On Saturday, Feb. 7, Richard Kareken had just left his home to get an oil change on his tractor trailer when he received a call from one of his sons that would change everything.
"He said, 'Get home get home! The house is on fire,'" Kareken said, recounting the urgent call.
The longtime Kentucky resident and truck driver, who works 14-hour days, initially hoped his family was overreacting as he rushed back to his property.
"I was hoping they were overreacting. That was my thought," Kareken said.
When he arrived, Kareken attempted to assess whether the house could be saved and ensure everyone had evacuated safely. He quickly realized the situation was dire.
"I thought it was going to be savable. I ran inside, and the minute I got upstairs, the heat hit me. I knew I needed to get out of [there]," Kareken said.
One of his sons, Mayson Kareken, said he heard his brother scream for his help as they saw the fire upstairs. They tried to put the fire out themselves, but couldn't keep up with the flames, so they called for help.
The Kareken family got out safely without physical injuries as firefighters arrived on scene with help from the Anderson County Fire Protection District and the Mercer County Fire District. However, the structural damage to the home was emotionally devastating.
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"I couldn't even watch it. Once they got here, I walked down to the [garage], and it makes me cry," Kareken said.
The house represented years of sacrifice and long work hours for the dedicated truck driver. Those 14-hour workdays had helped him pay off the mortgage, making the total loss even more painful.
"You work that hard, it's crazy. It hurts," Kareken said.
Now searching through the rubble, Kareken hopes to recover irreplaceable personal items from the debris.
"I would like to find my wife's wedding ring in there somewhere. We'll see," Kareken said.
As he begins the process of starting over, Kareken plans to convert his garage into a temporary living space while he works towards rebuilding his home.
Kareken has received some help from the community, including assistance from Young Construction and Design.
The Kareken family has set up a GoFundMe page to cover costs for essentials, which can be found at this link: Fundraiser for Jason Kareken by Maddysan … : Support a Family Starting Over After Tragic Fire
