The couple had been married for more than 20 years. They also lost four dogs in the fire.
BULVERDE, Texas — What began as the shock of losing everything in a house fire has turned into unimaginable grief for one Bulverde man.
Gary Gassman is now trying to rebuild his life after a fire destroyed his home – and just days later, his wife died following a sudden medical emergency.
“I know the shock. I know the realization that everything is gone,” Gassman said. “But then it takes, I think, several days before the realization sets into an emotional standard. And that’s kind of where I am this morning.”
On the night of April 18, Gassman, 85, and his wife Lucy, 56, lost their home in a fire that burned for hours. The couple was not home at the time.
“You can see completely through the house. There’s nothing,” Gassman said. “It’s down to the ground. There’s nothing.”
Neighbors quickly stepped in, offering the couple shelter and support. But within days, tragedy struck again.
Lucy Gassman suffered a medical episode, collapsed and was taken to a hospital, where she later died.
“Gosh, just an angel on Earth,” Gassman said. “She got along well – people just loved her. She was the center of life, laughter and excitement.”
The couple had been married for more than 20 years. They also lost four dogs in the fire: Goofy, Lady, Bear and Chimina.
“She was just a blessing to everybody,” Gassman said. “Not only the people she worked with, the people that she knew, and also her family.”
According to Bulverde Spring Branch Emergency Services, crews responded to a significant fire in the 5200 block of Whitewing Drive shortly after 8 p.m. on April 18. After confirming no one was inside, firefighters worked for seven hours to extinguish the blaze, with help from Canyon Lake, Bergheim and Bexar-Bulverde fire departments.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but Gassman believes lightning may have played a role.
“Right below where that door is was the water heater,” he said. “It’s propane, so if that’s where the fire was, it seems as though lightning possibly struck somewhere there and that energy ignited it.”
Despite the loss, Gassman says support from the community has been overwhelming. Neighbors launched a GoFundMe campaign to help him recover.
“From my heart is an outpouring of not only thankfulness, gratefulness, but love,” he said.
To support Gassman through GoFundMe, click here.