Bob, As one of your fellow live-steamers, please accept my sympathy in this tremendous loss. I have been through this. It is painful, but there are a few upsides over time. Please allow me to share some minor practical recommendations from my own experience. First, get a camera and take lots of photos of everything BEFORE anyone touches it. A lot of things will look to be intact, but will crumble at the touch. A photo may go a long way toward your insurance claims. Second, walk very carefully through the ruins. A lot of things (especially things borne of fire, such as ceramics, porcelain and metal) may survive if nothing heavy fell on them. Don't let many people "help." Surviving items may disappear since some people figure that it was insured, anyway. Believe it or not, over time, this may turn out to be a good thing. But, in the meantime, best wishes and good luck. Love & aloha, Vickie-Marie Parker
