Local family hopes to overcome devastating house fire with community support
Jul. 5—A house fire that destroyed a double-wide trailer home on Armory Road early Friday morning, June 23, left a young family displaced. Fortunately, Tahnya Davis, her husband Will Doebler and their three children made it out of the house unharmed but all their belongings were lost.
"We couldn't really save much of anything from the house. Pretty much everything is burnt," Davis said, adding that while the back room of the home seemed to have escaped some of the flames, nothing is able to be saved due to smoke and water damage. "My kids' rooms are completely burnt down."
The family includes a 1-year-old girl, a 4-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl.
"It's pretty traumatic and my oldest is trying to stay super strong about it but it's pretty devastating for them to lose all their stuff and their home," she said. "My two youngest grew up in this place, so it's going to be rough to adapt and overcome but we're doing it."
They are currently living in a camper on the property and their friend Katie Yelinek has organized a GoFundMe campaign for the family. As of Monday morning, nearly $3,000 has been donated.
"Will has worked his way up in the world and losing it all has been devastating," Yelinek said of her friend. "Raising funds for them could put them in a nice camper, which they could then live back on the property after the rubble is cleaned up."
Whitefish firefighter and paramedic Sarah Peterson worked the structure fire that morning and the sight of the devastation with charred children's books and charred baby blankets tugged at her heartstrings. She reached out to offer help and arranged for the Whitefish Fire Department to be a donation drop-off site.
Donations of children's clothing in sizes 18 months to 2T, 5T and size 5 teen, along with linens, kitchen utensils, toys, books and other items can be brought to the Whitefish Fire Department on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Yelinek and other friends are working to find ways to raise money and collect donations. The family needs everything, including clothes, diapers, bedding, towels and personal hygiene products. Cash donations will help them buy an RV that is big enough for their family.
"I want people to know that we really, really appreciate all the help, the love and support," Davis said.
Davis recalled what happened early on that Friday morning.
"My husband and I were sleeping out on the couch and I kind of woke up around 5 o'clock," Davis began. "I heard crackling and breaking sounds and I said, 'What the heck is that?' I looked over the couch and the wall by our porch was on fire."
She began yelling "fire" and Doebler yelled "kids!" Davis rushed to gather the three children and the family ran out the back door of their home.
"(Will) grabbed our phones and his wallet and he then tried to put the fire out with the hose but pretty much the water was evaporating before it even hit the flames," Davis said.
Whitefish Fire Department crews were called to the fire at 5:15 a.m. and were on the scene until 10:30 a.m. Crews from Big Mountain Fire and Rescue, Columbia Falls Fire Department, Evergreen Fire Rescue and West Valley Fire and Rescue provided assistance with keeping the fire contained.
Peterson said it is always a good idea to check smoke detectors and change the batteries, although it would not have changed the outcome of this particular fire.
To donate to the GoFundMe campaign, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/help-will-and-his-family-get-back-on-his-feet
