UPDATE, Monday 11/24: We now have more information about the fire that destroyed a home in Fairbury last week - including the name of the man who lost his house, and local plans to help him out.

A fire that first broke out after 10 PM last Wednesday took nearly five hours to fully extinguish.
Less than 24 hours later, all that remained of the Fairbury house that 79-year-old Kenneth Weichel called home was a large pile of rubble.

Locals have established a go fund me to help Ken start fresh - it's raised around $4,500 as of Monday afternoon, including around $500 coming in just over the course of the day Monday. Their goal is to raise at least $7,000. 

Weichel graduated from Fairbury Junior College and then UNL before serving in the Vietnam War. Organizers of the fundraiser say Weichel was awarded 22 badges and honors for his military service - all of which have been lost in the fire. 

"For all he has done for our county and this community, we are asking for any and all donations to help restore some stability and security after this tragic loss," the fundraiser's description reads. "Let's see what kind of love and support we can share with Ken in this horrible time of need, especially at this time of year when veterans and widowers feel emotional stress and loneliness."

Fairbury's Faith Lutheran Church is hosting a Thanksgiving soup supper Wednesday night from 5 to 7 to support Ken and his family. 

And Kindled Keepsakes, a new craft shop that opened up downtown earlier this year, is accepting donations - they've already been selling quilts handmade by Ken's wife Yanka, who passed away last year. 

No one was injured in the Wednesday night blaze, but fire chief Judd Stewart called the house a complete loss.

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UPDATE, Thursday 11/20: A fire that took close to five hours to fully extinguish Wednesday night in Fairbury destroyed a home - but fortunately, no one was injured. 


The Fairbury Rural Fire Department responded to a residence at the intersection of 7th and J Streets in Fairbury just before 10:15 PM Wednesday. In total, crews were on scene for four hours and 45 minutes and by Thursday, the house was completely destroyed.

According to a Thursday press release, the roof collapsed less than ten minutes after first responders arrived. That made it impossible for fire crews to gain access to the center of the building, even though the initial blaze was contained within half an hour.
Fairbury Rural fire chief Judd Stewart told NCN it was obvious early on that there would be no saving the structure.

"Our priorities on any fire scene are Life Safety number one, incident stabilization number two, then property conservation number 3," Stewart said via text. "So once we had the collapse, we focused on protecting the exposures around the house and then knocking down the fire to get our scene under control. Unfortunately we weren't able to get too much of the property conservation part."

But fortunately, despite all the damage, there were no injuries or casualties reported. The only resident of the house was the one who reported the fire, and neither he nor the 25 or so firefighters on scene were hurt.

Investigators determined the fire was caused by a failure of the electrical system inside the house.
Stewart cautions that heating equipment is the second leading cause of home fires across the country, and taking proper precautions is essential.

The following is the complete Thursday release from Stewart and the Fairbury Rural Fire Department. It has been reprinted in full. 

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Fairbury Rural Fire was paged out to a report of a fully involved residential structure fire near 7th & J Streets in Fairbury. Jansen Rural Fire was also requested per an automatic mutual aid agreement.
 
Firefighters arrived to find a 2-story residential structure with heavy fire involvement on the rear exterior and multiple interior rooms.  Due to the extent of the fire and potential structural compromise, a defensive attack was initiated.  Aerial operations were set up on 7th Street with hand lines deployed from a second engine on J Street. 
 
Within 10 minutes of fire department arrival, the roof structure collapsed into the house.  Due to high water requirements and supply concerns, a 3rd fire engine with a portable tank was set up in a relay operation to supply additional water to the aerial apparatus; 3 water tenders shuttled water to the portable tank.  The fire was initially knocked down within 30 minutes of arrival, but due to the structural collapse of the roof and the second story floor, fire crews were unable to reach fire within the center of the structure. 
 
After multiple attempts to gain access without entering the structure, Incident command made the call to the City of Fairbury and requested an excavator be brought in to open up the structure so we could safely gain access to the interior fire and other hot spots.  Ultimately, the entire structure was taken down to gain total access and alleviate safety concerns regarding further structural collapse. 
 
Investigators from Fairbury Rural Fire Department and the Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office found the cause to be a failure of the electrical system in the wall of the house.
 
There were approximately 25 firefighters on scene to extinguish the fire and provide support on the fireground.  The City of Fairbury Electric and Water departments were on scene to assist with controlling utilities. The City of Fairbury Street and Alley Department provided an excavator and manpower to assist with suppression efforts.  Jefferson County Ambulance District 33 provided EMS and firefighter rehabilitation services.  Traffic Control was provided by Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
 
No injuries to firefighters or members of the public. 
 
This is a good reminder to our community that as we approach cold weather, heating equipment is the second leading cause of home fires in the United States. More than 65,000 home fires are attributed to heating equipment each year. These fires result in hundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries and millions of dollars in property damage. According to the National Fire Protection Association, two in five deaths in space heater fires involve portable electric space heaters. It’s not safe to use electrical heaters as a primary heat source.  If you are using an electrical space heater for supplemental heat, please remember these important safety tips:
  • Purchase a heater with the seal of a qualified testing laboratory.
  • Keep the heater at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn, including people.
  • Choose a heater with a thermostat and overheat protection.
  • Place the heater on a solid, flat surface.
  • Make sure your heater has an auto shut-off to turn the heater off if it tips over.
  • Keep space heaters out of the way of foot traffic. Never block an exit.
  • Keep children away from the space heater.
  • Plug the heater directly into the wall outlet. Never use an extension cord.
  • Space heaters should be turned off and unplugged when you leave the room or go to bed.

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INITIAL STORY, Thursday 11/20: A residential fire broke out late last Wednesday night near 7th and J Street in Fairbury, just south of the 23 Apartments. The resident who called 911 was able to get out safely before the fire intensified.

Fire crews arrived quickly, knocked down the flames, and remained on scene for an extended period to contain hot spots and begin determining a cause.

Details are still developing, and officials have not yet released further information. We will pass along more information after we talk with the Fire Chief.