Rachael Ray Gives Update on Rebuilding Her House That Burned Down in ‘Surreal’ Fire

After a fire destroyed her home in Lake Luzerne, New York, Rachael Ray is providing an update as she and her husband, John Cusimano, work to rebuild their home. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight six months after she, her husband, and their dog Bella safely made it out of the devastating fire, the celebrity chef gave fans a look at what was left of her house after the blaze and how the rebuilding process is coming along.

Reflecting on the Aug. 9 fire, which started in their chimney and quickly spread throughout the home, Ray called it “surreal.” She said she first heard the fire “in the walls,” something she said was “blood-curdling.” In the video, she showed the exact wall where she first heard the fire “climbing through the wall.” That wall is now in the process of being repaired, with Ray stating, “at least you can see some bones.” According to Ray, the last time she stepped foot in the Lake Luzerne property, “there was literally no roof.

Following the fire, Ray and her husband moved into a guest house that wasn’t damaged in the fire. Ray said they are planning to stay there, for the time being, explaining, “I don’t think we’re going to go back until it’s like done, done. We’re going to stay down here; it was not fun.” The celebrity chef and talk show host said their home isn’t expected to be completed until later this year. Ray, who is expected to share more details of the fire and updates on the rebuilding process with viewers on The Rachael Ray Show on Thursday, went on to open up about what it was like seeing their property after the fire in a second clip shared to her website.

“John and I were discussing that somehow it was easier to just see it gone, and the hole in the ground that’s our cellar is all that remained,” she said. “It was kind of easier to take it not being there than to stand inside a frame and see everything white all around you because you then really notice…”

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight in September, just a month after the fire, Ray said she and her husband were shocked when their 15-year-old home caught fire. She explained that they cleaned the chimney twice a year. At the time, she told the outlet, “I think initially we were just in shock. We listened to our first responders and we left with the clothes on our back and the flip-flops and Ugg shoes on our feet.” In the months since the blaze, she has shared several updates with fans as she and Cusimano continue the rebuilding process.