Fire victims get a little help from their friends
By PAT FRIDGEN Echo Pilot

Nelson and Wendy Witmer and sons Alex and Noah stand in front of their home. A fire Dec. 14 destroyed the garage and family room. Friends and family razed the damaged section Saturday and the Witmers plan to rebuild.

A family displaced by fire in December is a step closer to getting back into their home. Friends and relatives of Nelson and Wendy Witmer tore down the damaged sections Saturday so they can start to rebuild at 1500 Choxes Chase.

The house was unoccupied at 10 p.m. Dec. 14 when a neighbor several blocks away noticed something amiss and called 911. Chad Bonebrake, living down the street on Queens Court, ran into the house to see if anyone was inside.

Someone called the Witmers at her parents' home and told them their house was on fire. They got to the scene at 10:30.

"The fire department was here in wonderful time, we hear," said Wendy.

Bonebrake and the firefighters pushed their Durango out of the burning garage.

The fire marshall later told them a bad compressor in the chest freezer in the garage started the fire.

Friends pitch in to help the Witmers prepare to rebuild the fire damaged part of their house.

"It took off and burned through the garage, the family room and some exterior walls in a bedroom," continued Wendy. "There was a lot of smoke damage, too."

They lost many possessions, but were able to save sentimental things such as photographs.

"We realize we have a lot to be thankful for."

Nelson complimented the Rescue Hose Company for its response, and the quick offer of help from the American Red Cross. The family spent the holidays with Wendy's parents, and has since been living in a duplex provided by Duane Maun.

The Showalter and Witmer families and fellow church members from Shank's Church of the Brethren organized the cleanup Jan. 19.

"This is our house-razing day," grinned Wendy. The house-raising comes later.

The crew filled two large dumpsters with debris. A Caterpillar telehandler hauled the larger pieces. The work was completed in half a day.

The Witmers hope for nice weather the rest of the winter so they can finish the construction. They expect it to take four months. Their children, Alex, 10, Noah, seven, Emma, four, and Levi, nine months, have adapted well but everyone is anxious to get back to where they belong.