Trace Adkins Recalls Irreplaceable Things He Lost in House Fire

Trace Adkins' family home in Nashville was destroyed by an electrical fire on June 4, and the selfless singer even asked fans to make donations to the tornado victims in lieu of his family, since he has the means to rebuild his home on his own. The Adkins are currently rebuilding their abode, and in the meantime, Trace Adkins, his wife and three girls are staying in a cabin on their farm.

Adkins spoke to CMT about the transition phase his family is enduring, saying, "The insurance company declared it a total loss, and now they have to figure out what that means and assign a value to it." The family lost plenty of priceless items when the home they'd resided in for 11 years burned to the ground, but at least they made it out with their lives and are now letting the insurance companies suss it out. Adkins continued, "It takes ridiculously long. I just want to get what's left of that house torn down. It looks sad. It's the eyesore of the neighborhood. We all want to get it gone."

Despite Adkins' desire to move on, the thought of the things they lost in the fire still stings the big man. It wasn't just "stuff," but things that represent life and its memories. "Just over the last week, it's falling in on me like a delayed reaction," he said. "Every day, you think of something else you lost, and those things just keep popping up like someone smacking you again."

Some of the sentimental items that perished in the fire include a guitar given to him by Buck Owens, which bore an inscription on the pick guard. Items like that are irreplaceable. "Things like that," Adkins explains. "Pictures of me with my heroes. Portraits of my kids. That's the stuff you miss the most. There's that saying about how you stand outside what used to be your home after something like this, and you say, 'The family's OK, and that's all that matters.' But until it's actually happened to you, that's when the weight of those words takes on a significance you never even imagined. Everything pales after that."

While he allowed himself that moment to consider what he lost, the singer has not forgotten about what he didn't lose -- and that's the people closest to him. He admitted, "Some things I wish I still had, but then you think of what it could've been, and you can't even let your mind go there. "

Best of luck to the Adkins family in getting their home rebuilt as soon as possible.

Watch the Trace Adkins 'Brown Chicken, Brown Cow' Video

Frederick Breedon