In the small town, everyone knew that Minja, 16, no longer had a home – This is how life changed after the tragedy – 2024-04-12 11:14:14

Minja’s family’s detached house burned down on February 13, 2023. Reader’s photo

A 16-year-old who is now in the ninth grade Minjan life changed a year ago, when his family’s detached house was destroyed in a fire in Sievi.

Minja was at school when her sister sent a video of the burning house.

– I was startled. I was completely shocked, and I didn’t really even realize that, Minja describes her first thoughts.

After an hour, he got a ride to his home. After seeing her childhood home go up in flames, Minja says that she understood that there was nothing more that could be done.

When the fire broke out, Minja’s sister and their father, who had been taking a nap, had been home. Minja’s uncle happened to be there, who was just coming from the village to run errands. He went to wake up Minja’s father, and everyone got out of the house.

Everything went

Minja says that she lost everything in the fire. Only the items that were in the backpack during the school day were saved.

The insurance largely covered the damage. After the fire, the family received gift cards from the Red Cross, with which they could buy the most important, urgent items from Prisma.

For the first night after the fire, the family was able to spend the night with a neighbor. The next day, the municipality’s furnished triangle was organized, which was paid for by the insurance company.

There was no going back to the old homestead – it was completely destroyed in the fire.

The first reactions were big. Minja describes that she was in shock for many days and that she cried through the first night.

Minja’s beloved cat also died in the fire. Both of her sister’s cats were saved from the fire, but Minja’s cat was not so lucky.

Back to school

After the accident, Minja was out of school for one day. Then the family took care of the most urgent matters, such as the purchase of clothes and hygiene supplies.

In a municipality of less than 5,000 inhabitants, everyone knew what had happened.

– On the first day of school after the fire, it was so scary to walk down the school corridor, knowing that everyone knew that I had nothing left. That I no longer have a home, Minja describes.

However, according to Minja, the day went well, and there were no intrusive questions.

– One wonderful teacher came to talk to me encouragingly, he says.

Time helped

Minja says that it was difficult at school after the fire. He was short and it seemed difficult to concentrate. However, as we slowly approached summer, my condition improved.

Minja feels that the accident left her with some form of trauma. Fires still scare him.

Minja says that it was difficult for the whole family, but she says that she and her father took it the hardest. Minja describes the home destroyed in the fire as an important place of refuge for both herself and many friends.

The most difficult thing has been to accept what happened, but time has helped, Minja says. Moving from a temporary apartment to a detached house also felt easier when the home felt like my own again. Family support has been important.

At the moment, Minja’s family is waiting to move into a new house, which was built in place of the one destroyed in the fire.

Iltalehti has obtained the guardian’s consent to interview the minor.