Pierce County family reeling after a fire burned down their ‘dream house’

Justin Starbuck woke up in the early hours of April 17 to the smoke alarm going off in his Graham home and his wife yelling that there was a fire.

Starbuck ran upstairs and smelled smoke burning the home. Flames were coming from the ceiling, he said. Starbuck, his wife, their 9-year-old son and their dog were able to get out of the house which would soon burn to the ground.

Starbuck and his family lived in home, once filled with their hopes and dreams, since 2018. He envisioned his grandchildren being there one day. That was all taken away in one night.

Graham Fire & Rescue was dispatched to the 32000 block of Whitman Lake Drive East. The department wrote on X at 7:50 a.m that the house was a total loss. The Pierce County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating, but preliminary results show the fire started at the electrical panel.

“It was our dream house, and I was hoping it would be my forever home. It doesn’t feel real,” Starbuck recently told The News Tribune.

Starbuck said he went back inside the home to grab car keys. After bursting through a door of flames, he received second-degree burns on his arms, glass on his back and several scrapes. Starbuck is recovering, and no one else in the home was injured.

“We’re fortunate to be alive,” he said.

Starbuck said his neighbors let his family stay in the guest room that night as firefighters worked the scene. Since then, Starbuck and his family have been staying at his wife’s grandmother’s home in Auburn.

“We’re thankful it didn’t spread to the neighbor’s house. Our house is surrounded by trees, and the trees were burnt less than 100 feet up in the hair. So the flames were ginormous,” Starbuck said.

The fire burned all of the family’s valuables and important belongings, including his son’s favorite stuffed animals.

“There’s not a single thing in that house that we can walk out of there with,” Starbuck said. “Everything is just black. There’s no walls at all.”

It was the second tragedy to strike Starbuck in a short period. About two weeks ago, his father had died after a stroke. Starbuck said that he found his father through an at-home DNA test three years ago. They built a strong relationship until his death.

“In my heart the only person I really want to talk [about the house] to is my dad,” Starbuck said.

Starbuck said that his wife was starting a Reiki healing center that has been put on hold while the family deals with the financial strains from the fire.

“Her job is to help people heal, and now she’s the one who needs healing,” Starbuck said.

He said they are waiting to hear back from their insurance company to see if it will cover damages. Starbuck said they received some support from the Red Cross, which they are thankful for.

The family has received support from family, friends and others as they navigate the loss of their home. There have been some neighbors that Starbuck has never spoken to who have reached out to him.

“I’m usually the one who helps people, but now I need the help,” Starbucks said. “It feels surreal.”

Starbuck said the road to recovery for his family feels long and daunting, but he is keeping a positive mindset.

“I’ve got to keep every single thing moving and still be that strong person for my family,” he said. “We’ve got a great community. I’ve got a great family and extended family.”

The Starbuck family set up a GoFundMe to help them rebuild as they recover from the loss. The funds will cover immediate needs such as clothing, essential items, as well as long-term rebuilding efforts.

“Every contribution, no matter the size, will help us restore normalcy and security in our lives,” the GoFundMe read.