Caterina Scorsone has come forward to share details of a devastating fire that destroyed her home and killed four family pets.

The Grey’s Anatomy star took to Instagram on Monday to reveal that “a couple of months ago” her house burned down in an emergency situation that left her with only minutes to save her three children.

“While getting my kids ready for bed and finishing bath time, smoke began to seep up through the grout around the tub. When I looked down the hallway a river of thick black smoke had already formed and was filling the house,” posted the veteran actress, who shares three daughters, Eliza, 10, Paloma “Pippa,” 6, and Lucky, 3, with ex-husband Rob Giles. “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.”

However, the family’s three cats and dog did not escape the blaze. “Heartbreakingly, we lost all four of our pets,” Scorsone confirmed. “We are still sitting with that loss, but we are lucky we got to love them at all.”

Scorsone has starred on ABC’s blockbuster drama series Grey’s Anatomy as Amelia Shepherd, the sister-in-law to Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey, since the ABC hit medical drama’s seventh season in 2010. On the currently airing 19th season, Meredith’s home nearly burnt down in the winter finale, which aired in late 2022. Lightning struck the house with Meredith’s children inside; everyone escaped as their belongings went up in flames.

Scorsone credited her Grey’s family for showing up for her family during this difficult time, one that seemingly has left her with a sense of gratitude and a new perspective on what is important in life.

“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 shared with her 3.9 million followers in the post that also featured images of the scene, the animals and her daughters, seen below. “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.”