I was in a bad fire and got out with very minor injuries and lost everything but the clothes I was wearing. For weeks I was coughing up black soot and it was in my sinuses so all I could smell was soot. Eventually it cleared up and I had no lung damage. I got a settlement (more than yours but much less than I lost) after fighting a company for months. In a way it was kind of a fresh start- I moved to a new city and for a while everything I owned was brand new. Now whenever I smell something burning I get kind of nostalgic for that time.