As Rick and Beth Napoleon planned their new house in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood, they knew it had to be different. “With every decision, we’re pretty much trying to do the complete opposite of the last house,” Rick Napoleon said. “Every decision is the opposite.
We want something new, different memories.” The first home they owned together as husband and wife, and where they raised three sons over 18 years, was damaged beyond repair in August by the explosion of Paul and Heather Oravitz’s house across the street. The ensuing fire destroyed three houses: the Oravitz home and the ones on either side.
While many more homes in the area required months of extensive repairs, the Napoleons’ house, directly across Rustic Ridge Drive, was the only one that could not be saved. Their new house is taking shape on the same site. If their builder, Barry O’Block, completes the house by early August as he hopes, it would be just before the first anniversary of the disaster in which six of the Napoleons’ neighbors were killed.
Heather Oravitz, 51, died that day, along with four friends and neighbors who had been in their home: Mike Thomas, 57; Kevin Sebunia, 55; and father and son Casey Clontz, 38, and Keegan Clontz, 12. Paul Oravitz, 56, died four days later. Of all the changes the Napoleons are making to their new house, the most significant might be the complete removal of the front porch in favor of a back deck.
Where they had once waved to neighbors walking by a.