Mooreton Family Faces House Fire On Same Day As Funeral For Loved One

A family already facing tragedy now must overcome another dose of heartbreak.

Their home was heavily damaged by fire in Mooreton, near Wahpeton.
 
You’d think a house fire would be the worst thing to happen to you in a day.

But that’s not the case for the family of Jeanette Breuer, who also buried a loved one.

Breuer thought something might be wrong after hearing a loud crack early this morning, so says her daughter, Susan Garza.
 
“She said she thought she could smell shingles burning,” says Garza. “So she came out again and looked at the top of the house and she says she couldn’t see anything.”
 
A half hour later, around 6 a.m. Thursday, neighbor Jason Kjar was inspecting a fallen tree in his front yard.
 
“Decided to come out, make sure everything was OK”, says Kjar, “then I noticed the flames coming from Jeanette’s house.”
 
He ran down into the burning house, alerting Breuer and her daughter to the danger.
 
“I don’t even know his name. I don’t know who he is. I just heard his voice,” says Garza.
 
The house is uninhabitable, but the pair got out unharmed.

That might not have been the case had Kjar’s tree stayed intact.
 
He adds, “Unfortunate for all the things that happened but good timing on my part I guess.”
 
But the family didn’t have time to mourn the house.

Garza was in town for the funeral of her sister, Jeanette’s daughter, scheduled for just hours after the fire broke out.
 
Having a neighbor barrel into a burning building to warn them about the fire is just one of the many things people in the Mooreton community have been doing to help the family.
 
“So much on their plate right now, and I’m just glad I was able to do my part helping Jeanette and her daughter,” adds Kjar.
 
Five different fire departments helped douse the flames.

Another neighbor consoled Jeanette, while helping her prepare to say goodbye for her daughter.
 
Garza explains, “She’s provided us with dresses for the funeral for my sister because they burnt in the house.”
 
Her family dealt with more pain than anyone deserves to endure at once.
 
“We’ve had a rough week,” Garza admits.
 
But she remains hopeful for her family.
 
“We’ll survive,” she says. “We’ll make it.”
 
 
The family says they think a lightning strike is to blame for the fire.

Jeanette’s children say their mother wants to fix the damage to the home.

They’ve already gotten calls from community members offering to help rebuild.