Dirt late model driver Josh Richards and his wife, Andrea, said they survived a camper fire by the grace of God. Their amazing story begins on Thursday, February 10. The Richards parked their camper where most racers do on the road — a Walmart parking lot. Their next stop on the agenda would be the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Florida. However, the camper never made it there.
Startling Wake-Up Call
“We had driven 20 hours from home, and we weren’t going to be able to park until the afternoon at East Bay,” said Andrea. “So, we stopped 30 minutes from the track. We had gotten there [at the Walmart] at one o’clock in the morning. We pretty much went straight to bed.”
Then, Andrea woke up from a deep sleep.
“I sat straight up at 3 a.m.,” Andrea said. “It was the hand of God that was placed upon me. I smelled something a little strange and immediately ran to the kitchen. [There were] some small tendrils of smoke coming from the refrigerator. I screamed for Josh, because he was not awake. He ran out the door and around the back. He said the whole area behind the refrigerator and the back slide out was fully engulfed. Josh said, ‘Get out now!’”
With the camper ablaze, the Richards only had a few moments to grab anything from the vehicle. Josh went to unhook the truck from the camper.
“I grabbed the dog and had my phone in my hand,” said Andrea. “I ran out of the camper — no shoes, no socks, just literally in my pajamas. We then called 911.”
Despite their best efforts, the fire department could not save the camper.
“We just had to stand back and watch it [burn to the ground],” Andrea said. “From the start of waking up to [the camper being] fully engulfed, it was four minutes. If I had not awakened, I don’t think we would be alive.”
Some questioned whether the Richards had working smoke detectors. Andrea explained why they failed to activate.
“The smoke detectors weren’t not going off inside, because there was not a large amount of smoke inside — it was all on the outside of the camper,” said Andrea. “We had three smoke detectors installed in the camper and I had another one set on the floor of our bedroom.”
Moments After the Fire
Packed for the weeks-long Speedweeks, the Richards lost about everything. For Andrea, that included most of her wardrobe, her computer, and her wallet.
“It was about a four-hour process between the fire department, fire marshal, police department, and getting a tow company to clean up the mess and tow it away,” Andrea said. “The Red Cross showed up at 4:30 in the morning and gave us toiletry bags and blankets, and they were absolutely wonderful. They have checked in on us multiple times.”
The trauma of the fire stunned the Richards.
“You’re in such shock,” said Andrea. “It’s hard to think. It’s hard to process. What do I do next? There were a lot of phone calls to insurance companies and different things.”
Racing Community Comes to the Rescue
Josh Richards’ dirt late model car owner, Boom Briggs, helped find them a dog-friendly hotel for East Bay. Then, Andrea’s colleagues from her days as a NASCAR PR person helped find her housing for Volusia Speedway Park the following week. Meanwhile, however, Andrea and Josh had more immediate needs.
“I went to the mall in my pajamas and got some jeans,” Andrea said. “When I bought the jeans, I said [to the clerk], ‘This sounds strange, but do you care if I go back in the dressing room and put these on? I lost everything in a fire.’ All dignity is thrown out the window at that point. I had no makeup, I had nothing. You’re just thankful to be alive.”
After a trip to Walmart for additional items, plus a few shirts and hoodies from Josh’s merchandise at East Bay Raceway Park, Andrea and Josh were set. Many others helped out with their needs, too, offering clothing and monetary donations.
“It’s been phenomenal the outpouring of support,” said Andrea. “We’re super humbled, blessed, and thankful for everything. Dirt Racing Outreach put up a fundraiser for us. We did not ask for that. Josh and I are not the type of people who like to accept charity. [Dirt Racing Outreach] explained to us … that this is a blessing to those people who can give. It blesses them to be able to help you guys now.”
Not only did folks think of the Richards, but also their dog, Burley.
“[Fans, friends, and sponsors] sent us dog treats and dog toys,” Andrea said. “The dog lost everything, too.”
The Richards Today
After returning from Florida, the Josh and Andrea Richards now have to sort through the aftermath of a fire, including the long insurance claim process and, for Andrea, getting new credit cards and a driver’s license. However, the Richards see a greater purpose behind their ordeal.
“Our camper has been burned to a crisp,” said Andrea. “Under a stack of burnt clothes, there was a bag with my devotional [book] in it. Except some soot on the outside of it, it was untouched. Under our bed, there’s an ottoman that pulls out. Our mattress, our blankets, our pillows — everything was completely burned. That ottoman was untouched. Inside that ottoman was Josh’s devotional book, and it was completely untouched. To us, we feel that was God just saying, ‘Hey, I’m here. I’m with you. I got you through this. And, I’m going to get you through all this.’ That’s what we keep trusting.
“We are able to share that story. That’s touched a lot of people’s lives. People have come up to us and said, ‘we appreciate your testimony,’ and it’s helped them be stronger in their faith. We feel that’s our purpose now.”
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
