Home fire survivor joins Red Cross Disaster Action Team to give back

By David Ullman, Red Cross writer

Hubert “Hube” Embelton and his family lost everything when a fire consumed their Maine home in 1996. Everything that belonged to him, his wife Cindy, and their children was burned rubble. Their dining table, which had hosted a thousand conversations, was in ashes. The family photos no longer existed. A lifetime of mementoes and souvenirs had become intangible memories. Their golden retriever also died in the fire.  

Hube, then a manager for UPS, was at work when he received a call from his wife’s coworker.

“She said, ‘Don’t panic, but your house is on fire. Cindy is on her way home to get the dog out,” he recalled.

Despite the firefighters’ efforts, the fire had fully engulfed one end of the house.  

While the firefighters battled the blaze, Hube and Cindy took refuge at a neighbor’s house where they received an unexpected phone call. Larry Harrison, then Executive Director of the Aroostook Chapter of the American Red Cross, was calling to offer Red Cross assistance. 

“He (Harrison) said, ‘We want to help you. Did anyone lose eyeglasses? Medications? We also want to help monetarily.’ I remember telling him, ‘I have a good job. My wife has a good job. We have insurance. We have a lot of family around. We’re all set.’ 

“He (Harrison) responded, ‘No, you’re not all set. You don’t realize what you’ve got ahead of you,’” Hube remembered.

A few hours later while pushing two carts through Walmart, Hube realized the extent of their loss.

“Everything on these shelves was something we needed. We had absolutely nothing,” Hube said.   

From that moment, the Embeltons became fervent supporters of the Red Cross.  

“I was working 70 to 80 hours a week. So the only way I could give back to the Red Cross, for them being so generous and gracious to my family, was monetarily. My wife joined the Executive Board of the local chapter and donated her time raising money. I just felt guilty that I never had the time to do anything. So once I retired I said, ‘I’m going to volunteer,’” said Hube. 

In 2022, Hube joined the Red Cross as a volunteer with the local Disaster Response Team (DAT) and Home Fire Campaign.

As a member of DAT, Hube empathizes with the victims of fires, remembering how he felt watching his house burn and sorting through the debris.

“There was one response that really struck home because they lost their German Shepherd. A five-year-old German Shepherd, the same age as my dog.  You walk away from that saying, ‘I just wish I could do more,’” Hube recalled. “You do what you can, and you should feel good about that, just as much you do about installing free smoke alarms.”

Hube and his installation partner, volunteer Wayne Rivers, fulfilled every installation request last summer – more than 30 smoke alarms. And they’re already preparing for this summer’s installations. 

Seven people die in home fires every day in the U.S., but working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death in half. Smoke alarms should be installed on every floor of your home and outside of all sleeping areas. They should be tested monthly – and replaced every 10 years.

“Installing smoke alarms makes me feel so good,” said Hube. “We are helping people that otherwise couldn’t afford or wouldn’t have the means, physically or financially, to put these smoke alarms in.” 

Need smoke alarms for your home? Visit redcross.org/EndHomeFiresNNE to sign-up for a free installation.