Inside Rachael Ray’s rebuild of $418k New York home after fire as star helps renovate destroyed houses with new show

RACHAEL Ray rebuilt the upstate New York home she shares with her husband, John Cusimano, after it was destroyed by a house fire in 2020. 

Now Rachael, 56, is helping others experiencing similar devastation with a new A&E show called Rachael Ray’s Rebuild. 

The U.S. Sun can exclusively go inside Rachael’s renovation of the home she purchased for $120,000 in 2013 ahead of the new show premiere. 

In a building permit from September 2020 obtained by The U.S. Sun, Rachael filed for “rebuild from fire, old foundation to be reused per engineer’s letter."

A second permit filed read “leaving garage and foundation for rebuild.”

Improvements in 2020 include renovations made to the porch area. 

According to the New York Accessor’s Office, the single-family home sits on 4.09 acres of land. 

The home has a current value of $418,500, according to the office. 

The house, which is described as “contemporary,” features three full bathrooms and one-half bath, along with three bedrooms. 

The total living area is 4,123 square feet. 

RACHAEL'S DEVASTATION

Rachael revealed the house fire on her ABC cooking show in 2020. 

She began the season 15 premiere, "On August 9th, my house burned. Fifteen years of memories; 40 years of notebooks, drawings, thoughts, my life's work. It took about one hour for this house to come down — and in my mind, it took decades before it was even built. 

“In the years that I lived here, I learned an awful lot. In the few weeks since it burned, I think I've learned even more. Today, we're going to share what's left of our home with you." 

Rachael explained how she lit a fire and began cooking a pasta dinner for her husband John when a neighbor came into their backyard and screamed, “Your roof’s on fire!” 

Despite cleaning their chimney twice a year, the fire was caused by a "creosote that spit out the top and landed on the roof."

She continued to recall, "Immediately I ran upstairs to get medicines, photographs, notebooks — precious things. I heard the fire in the walls. 

"It was blood-curdling and chilling from head to toe. I turn to leave and there was a first responder right in front of me, [saying], 'Get out, get out now. You have to go.'

"I went to get the dog, and that was it. We left our house."

The chef continued, "My house caught fire again the next day. Trucks had to come again the next day.”

John added, "The night that the fire happened, we literally were just watching our house burn and burn and burn. 

"It wouldn't stop. You're just thinking, 'Oh God, what's going to be left?' Then we went up there the next day and you just don't know what's going to be left and what you're going to lose. 

“So neither of us had any clothes at all other than what we were wearing. We walked in and there's devastation everywhere. We were like, 'Oh my God, there's no house left.'”

HOME SWEET HOME

In November 2021, Rachael and John gave a tour of their newly renovated home. 

“Here we are, we are standing back in our home,” Rachael said. 

Rachael first showed off her new stone fireplace in the living room, as she explained her furniture was custom-built to mimic the pieces lost in the fire. 

Rachael’s builder explained, "I originally built the home in 2009 and after the fire, [Rachael] said, 'Let's put it back to what it was.'"

Rachael and John were able to salvage some belongings, including a chandelier, painting and grandfather clock.

HELPING OTHERS

Rachael revealed earlier this week that she is turning her own experience into a show to help others. 

“I can say from personal experience when disaster strikes your home, your life changes forever.

"I want to help people rebuild their homes and their lives.”

The show airs on Sunday, December 8 on A&E. 

HEALTH CONCERNS

The new series comes after Rachael sparked concern on her episodes of Rachael Ray in Tuscany when she appeared to be slurring her speech during the cooking show.

"Omg is she ok? What happened?" one fan reacted to the Instagram video.

Another wrote, "This is concerning. Something is not right."

A third commented, "I love you but are you ok? I'm seriously concerned."

Rachael has not addressed the concerns, as she instead filtered the comments on her videos.

RACHAEL'S CAREER

Rachael appeared on ABC’s Rachael Ray Show from 2006 to 2023. 

Rachael left the show to launch her own production company, Free Food Studios. 

She also runs the nonprofit organization Yum-o!, which “empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cook through three main initiatives: Cook, Feed and Fund.”

She currently hosts Rachael Ray’s Meals in Minutes and Rachael Ray in Tuscany on FYI.

She also has her new podcast I'll Sleep When I'm Dead.

The U.S. Sun previously reported she is expanding her empire, as she filed two new trademarks on October 4, 2024 for pizza peels, non-electric pizza cutters and egg poachers.