BROOKINGS — There were no lives lost nor injuries reported in an afternoon house fire on March 29 in Brookings, but the flames left the residence uninhabitable with significant damage.
The blaze at 824 Eighth St. was reported at 3:22 p.m., and the Brookings Fire Department responded with four fire trucks and 25 volunteer firefighters. BFD Chief Troy Hughes told The Brookings Register on March 30 that his people were at the scene for a little under three hours, then returned at 9:45 p.m. for 30 minutes to ensure the fire hadn’t rekindled.
Hughes said there was heavy fire damage to the home’s kitchen and dining areas, and smoke damage throughout the rest of the residence. A cooking fire that spread to the cabinets above the stove and then throughout the kitchen is believed to have been the cause of the fire, he said.
“The house is not habitable until major repairs can be made,” Hughes said, adding that three animals — two dogs and a cat — perished in the fire.
He noted that the home’s residents are receiving assistance from the Red Cross.
“Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers as they try to find a new place to live and begin to replace all that has been lost,” Hughes said.
In reaching out to the Red Cross, it was learned from Robert Reuland, the organization’s disaster program manager for eastern South Dakota, that the residents have a variety of assistance available to them, including:
• A one-time financial gift to help with immediate costs.
• Assistance to help replace damaged medications and damaged medical devices.
• Mental health services.
• Spiritual care.
• Case workers who will contact residents to help develop a recovery plan.
The Red Cross relies heavily on volunteers to provide services. In the Brookings area alone, there are around 20 volunteers, and overall in eastern South Dakota, between 50 and 100 volunteers.
“We really appreciate the cooperation of multiple agencies who were part of the response, (including) the 911 dispatchers, Brookings police and animal control, and (the) Red Cross,” Hughes said.
— Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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