Scott-
Glad to hear you and your family are ok, aside from all the trauma. House fire is my biggest fear - especially now that we have little ones in the house. Glad your home is intact too - that's a beautiful pic up above!
We've had gas fireplaces in our last couple homes, and like Lightyear said - it's hard to really tell the difference cosmetically, operational costs are lower, heats more efficiently, burns cleaner... If you end up redoing yours, you can't go wrong with one of those. I don't miss wood burners at all. Seemed liked a lot of upkeep, and down here, fireplace usage is strictly optional. In your climate, I imagine you'll really appreciate the time you save!