LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A couple lost virtually all their possessions when their houseboat went up in flames during Sunday’s massive fire at the Las Vegas Boat Harbor.
According to the marina, 26 boats were damaged and 11 were destroyed. The houseboat belonging to Judy Roman and Greg Mains, where the couple lived part-time, used as “home base” and stored all their valuables and belongings, is now submerged at the bottom of Lake Mead.
After the couple got a call about the fire early Sunday morning on their dock, Roman said they quickly turned to their surveillance video for answers. The couple had recently driven to California in their RV.
“I can’t even describe it, the agony of being far away and watching it all just go up in smoke, literally. Everything’s gone. Everything’s on there: paperwork, photos, photos of my kids. It’s really difficult,” Roman said. “It’s been a few days now. And I should understand that I can’t go back. But I still don’t understand,” she said.
Roman tells FOX5 that she is leaning on other fire victims for comfort and support.
“Then it starts to hit you: this isn’t just about me. This is about my neighbor and my other neighbor and my other neighbor. I’ve called them. We cry. There’s nothing you can do, but we’ve lost everything,” she said, noting that she is glad no one was hurt or lost their lives.
Roman said during COVID-19, the couple bought a “fixer-upper” houseboat from the 1980s and invested in renovations to make it feel like home. Insurance covers part but far from all of the damage.
Roman and Mains also lost their pontoon boat that they and other neighbors used to haul belongings. Those same neighbors are working to help one another with a GoFundMe account for the couple.
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