Cartoon window with flames coming out of it

A Close Call

by Erie Insurance on October 13, 2025

In six years as a volunteer firefighter and chaplain for his local fire department, Mark Hines had long grappled with the question

But on March 19, 2023, it became more personal.

“How do you help someone when their house burns down?” he asked.

Mark and his family would receive an answer from a dynamic partnership between his insurance agent, adjuster and carrier.

When disaster hits home

When Mark’s wife woke him up at 3:31 a.m., he knew what was happening. His Rexford, N.Y., house was on fire and, based on Mark’s assessment, had been for some time.

“We were asleep 15 feet from the flames,” Mark remembers. “I grabbed the fire extinguisher, and my wife gathered the kids and got them outside to the van, which we moved away from the house immediately.”  It was 22 degrees outside at the time.

Thanks to Mark’s professional background, he knew that the situation was more than he and his fire extinguisher could handle alone, so he moved outside and started to retrieve his firefighting gear from his vehicle. As he did, some familiar faces arrived as fire trucks pulled up.

“These are my buddies,” Mark said. “Like any house fire, they wanted to do everything they could to save the home once they knew we were all out safe, but they were working in an enclosed basement.”

Between Mark and the team, the blaze was finally brought under control, leaving the upstairs intact. The basement was a different story. Due to the fire reaching more than 1,000 degrees, it sustained significant damage and ultimately condemned and unsafe to enter.

They would need to rebuild.

With his wife and two kids safe, Mark wasn’t sure where they should go from there. He did know what to do next—call his agent, Bruce Whiting.

“Mark was so cool and collected when we spoke on the phone, I was not prepared for what I saw when I arrived at the home,” Bruce said. “My jaw dropped when I saw it. The house was destroyed.”

‘This can be a simple process’

After arranging living accommodations for the family and coordinating some of the essentials to help them get by, attention turned to Mark’s home policy and the coverage available to rebuild.

That’s when ERIE property claims specialist Paul DeSapio got to work.

Mark called Paul’s efforts instrumental in the rebuild.

“Paul told me ‘You can drive the direction of the rebuild here. If you’re meticulous about providing estimates and invoices, this can be a simple process,’” Mark said. “And it was.”

Mark compiled a spreadsheet that catalogued each expense, payment, date the work was performed and when payment was made. He also kept a running tally of payment and invoice totals, linked to digital copies of invoices and receipts, and tracked payouts from ERIE.

“(Mark and his wife Megan) were excellent and they really took over the process,” Paul said. “I always tell Customers to keep me informed about their house as best they can, and they really delivered.”

Paul credited Mark’s diligence in helping hasten the rebuild. While it often takes 18 months or more, the Hines family moved back in just less than a year after the fire.

Mark’s diligence was not just reserved for the rebuild though. He also saved his family’s photos to the cloud and kept his family’s important documents in a fireproof safe that survived the fire.

“People always think it can’t happen to them,” Mark said. “But I took every precaution there was in the book and it still happened to us, so I encourage people to be proactive in safeguarding what’s valuable.”

Coverage + Collaboration

Mark’s decision to purchase Guaranteed Replacement Cost (GRC) coverage on the home at Bruce’s recommendation also played a key role in putting the pieces back together. Thanks to GRC, which pays for the full cost of rebuilding back to the previous size and specifications,[1] there was plenty of coverage to work with.

“Guaranteed Replacement Cost is truly intended to get people back to where they were before the claim happened and quite frankly, based on my experience, nobody comes close to doing it like ERIE does,” Bruce says. “Especially post-COVID, costs to rebuild can be extremely unpredictable and there’s really just no substitute for having that coverage in place.”

In addition to exceptional coverage, the compassionate service that is ERIE’s hallmark was also at the center of the claims experience for Mark and his family.

“It’s why ERIE is our first choice of carriers. ERIE is going to pay the claim in a fair manner and they are known for a claims process that emphasis service and support, not obstacles,” Bruce says. “They’re going to roll up their sleeves and get it done.”

That’s exactly what happened.

“As this all unfolded, I sort of remembered Bruce talking to us about this Guaranteed Replacement Cost coverage, but that’s the kind of thing that you cover when you’re buying the policy and then you forget about it the next day,” Mark says.

Mark and his family are now back home, whole once again. And it wouldn’t have been possible if the right coverage and the right people weren’t there.

“I credit both of them because the whole role of insurance is to get people past tragedy and back up on their feet,” Mark said. “And that’s exactly what Erie Insurance did.”

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ERIE® insurance products and services are provided by one or more of the following insurers: Erie Insurance Exchange, Erie Insurance Company, Erie Insurance Property & Casualty Company, Flagship City Insurance Company and Erie Family Life Insurance Company (home offices: Erie, Pennsylvania) or Erie Insurance Company of New York (home office: Rochester, New York).  The companies within the Erie Insurance Group are not licensed to operate in all states. Refer to the company licensure and states of operation information.

The insurance products and rates, if applicable, described in this blog are in effect as of the article’s publish date and may be changed at any time.

Insurance products are subject to terms, conditions and exclusions not described in this blog. The policy contains the specific details of the coverages, terms, conditions and exclusions. 

The insurance products and services described in this blog are not offered in all states.  ERIE life insurance and annuity products are not available in New York.  ERIE Medicare supplement products are not available in the District of Columbia or New York.  ERIE long term care products are not available in the District of Columbia and New York. 

Eligibility will be determined at the time of application based upon applicable underwriting guidelines and rules in effect at that time.

Your ERIE agent can offer you practical guidance and answer questions you may have before you buy.

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    The information in this blog is a summary and does not include all coverages and benefits available through an ErieSecure Home® policy or apply to all states. Coverage, benefits, limits and deductibles will vary. Conditions, exclusions and limitations will apply. Refer to our disclaimer for more information. Not available in all states, Talk to an ERIE agent for state specific policy information.

    Guaranteed Replacement Cost applies to dwelling and requires home improvements over $5,000 to be reported within 90 days - not available with all policies and in all states. Coverage of costs to comply with laws or ordinances is subject to limits. Depreciation will be deducted until repair or replacement is made. Talk to an ERIE agent for more information.