Fire is an odd thing, humans need it to cook, to stay warm, to boil and build. It can be quite destructive when it gets out of the safe confines of a fireplace, oven or grill. Naturally, fire is needed to restore, regenerate and reinvigorate plant communities. 

My heart breaks for local business owner Joanna Busby. She and her husband Stuart worked so hard to open a business and give an old home a new purpose in life. 

People sold antiques at the vendors gallery there and I know a few couples got married there. On the front porch, I can still see Busby’s son Abel trying to sell lemonade at their ribbon cutting. 

The building was sadly a total loss, Busby said. 

All she could do Monday was watch the Brookhaven Fire Department work its way through the house, putting out hotspots and probing further for fire. 

I know before the fire a newspaper article documenting Busby’s adventure of opening The Drury House hung on the wall. I would imagine the fire Monday is not the last story written about Busby’s business and the Drury House site. She has not backed down from a challenge before. 

Monday, Busby sat on a rock as she talked with people. Outwardly, she did not show any negative body language or thoughts of doom and gloom. She pointed out while the house was burned, the green grass, garden and landscaping was as beautiful as ever. 

Naturally, the first growing season after a fire is when you can see great vegetative response and sometimes it only takes a few weeks for the positive green growth to appear. It would not be surprising if Busby responded with a similar vigor and continued to do business amidst the ashes. 

While I mourn for the Busby family, their business and my wife’s photography studio which was on the second floor of The Drury House, I’m excited to see the response afterwards. I know this fire isn’t the end of their stories, just the start of a new chapter.