Skylark Mobile Home widower loses home, wife, dog to fire
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A resident of the Skylark Mobile Home Park lost everything he cherished in the fire Thursday that destroyed eight homes in the community and claimed one life, his wife.
In an interview with KRDO Newschannel 13, Adam Gravestock recalled the events of that day.
He said he was at a site working 15 minutes North of Woodland Park when he got a call, alerting him that there had been a fire at his home in the Skylark community.
“It is like my heart has been ripped out of my chest," he said. "It’s almost like I can’t even function sometimes. Because I break down in tears so much I can’t even talk, walk, or nothing."
He said he and his wife of 25 years, Sonja McCord, and their dog 'Gizmo' had lived in that home for the last five years.
Once he got the call about the fire, Adam raced home from work. But when he got there, it was too late: the flames had taken over.
“My trailer was the first one to go. It started at the front of my trailer and worked its way towards the back where she was sleeping in the bedroom," he said. "Our little dog, Gizmo, was raising hell trying to get her up, but he stayed by her side the whole time.”
Gravestock explained his wife was severely ill and had recently been prescribed sleep medication. That medication, likely a reason she did not awaken sooner to the flames taking over their home.
He said it wasn’t fire investigators or police who alerted him to his wife's death.
He tells KRDO Newschannel that he was not called until 24 hours later. Police told him what he had already known the second he pulled up to Lot # 30, their home.
“I could see where my trailer was - where it was, but it wasn’t there at the time," he said. "I knew right away. I knew in my heat that she was gone. I knew before they ever confirmed it.”
Gravestock said he and his wife were renting the property and had no insurance. Working as a contractor, he lost a majority of his tools and now has to start completely over.
But a family friend started this GoFundMe to help raise money to figure out what comes next for him in life as he tries to cope with the tragic loss of his family and his home.
Fire investigators say the fire was "accidental" in nature - most likely caused from what they think to be a cigarette being flicked into the tall, dry grass.
But with fire danger continuing to increase across Southern Colorado, Gravestock said he hopes his tragedy is a lesson that will force people to think about the severe consequences neglecting fire danger can have.
