Heather Wright/The Independent

An Oil Springs family is grateful after being showered with concern and help following a fire that destroyed their home.

Nov. 30, fire ripped through Cornelius and Agatha Friesen’s home while they and their four children were away. Fire officials say it likely started in the furnance and burned all the way into the attic. Firefighters could not get inside to knock it down because the floor joists were burning. 

Eventually, an excavator was brought in to tear the building down to extiquish the blaze.

Everything was lost.

But the Friesens say after a week of concern, they’ve found a place to live for the time being and have been inundated with help from the community.

Agatha Friesen says there were more offers of clothing than they could accept and they have received enough furniture to make their new rental home comfortable.

Their school community, John Knox Christian School in Wyoming, also started an online fundraising campaign which has raised more than $20,000.

“We want to thank the community,” Agatha said. 

“We are so grateful. That the community rallied around us is so amazing. God is good.”

The couple plan to rebuild in Oil Springs but how long that might take is not known yet.