Grey’s Anatomy star Caterina Scorsone details saving her children from a house fire

Grey’s Anatomy star Caterina Scorsone shares that a “couple months ago” a fire ravaged her Southern California home, forcing her to act fast in order to save her three children from the blaze.

Scorsone lived in the now-destroyed property with her three children: Eliza, 10, Paloma, 6, and Lucky, 3, as well as her ex-husband Rob Giles. In a post on Instagram, the actor recalls the moment smoke started filling her house as her family was winding down for the evening.

“While getting my kids ready for bed and finishing bath time, smoke began to seep up through the grout around the tub,” Scorsone writes. “When I looked down the hallway a river of thick black smoke had already formed and was filling the house. One thing about fires: They happen fast. I had about two minutes to get my three kids out of the house, and we escaped with less than shoes on our feet. But we got out. And for that I am eternally grateful.”

While she and her children reached safety, Scorsone’s four pets—three cats and one dog—died in the fire.

“Heartbreakingly, we lost all four of our pets,” Scorsone shares, along with photos of the pets. “We are still sitting with that loss, but we are lucky we got to love them at all.”

Scorsone did not detail exactly when the fire happened and its cause, but the Private Practice star expresses appreciation for her supportive community—including the Grey’s cast and Shonda Rhimes—who sent clothing and supplies to her family.

“This is not a post about a fire. This is a post about community. This is a love letter to the incredible people that showed up and the incredible ways that they did,” she continues. “What we learned is that the only thing that matters are the people (and beings) that you love. The only thing that matters is community. We would not be here without it and we are so grateful.”