Fire destroys home in Berwyn
BERWYN - Louella Leggett knows the exact time on April 29 that lightning struck her Berwyn house and started the fire that destroyed most everything she and her husband, Tom, owned.
“It was 4:15,” she said. “I had just looked at the clock. We were watching our favorite program, ‘Heartland.’”
As they settled down to watch TV, Leggett said there were a lot of pops.
“Tom thought it was kids playing pranks,” she said. About two minutes later, they lost electricity. “We knew then it was getting serious,” she added. They ran outside and saw the north side of the house in flames.
The couple made it out with only a handful of items and the clothes they were wearing. Leggett had grabbed up her phone, Bible, devotion book and checkbook. They had no pets to worry about and no one else was in the house. Fire, smoke and water took everything in the home that they’ve owned since October of 2007.
“The attic support beams are pretty much gone,” Leggett said. “The north side walls are blackened and pretty much done.”
She added that Tom’s son, Mark, told them the smoke would have been so toxic he doesn’t recommend trying to save any clothing or other items made of fabric. The insurance adjuster told them everything is unsalvageable.
The lightning was part of storm system that brought rain and hail to the area. Leggett said it rained for a good half hour after the strike. “We had pea sized hail for 25 minutes straight, too,” she said. She described a surreal experience. “We sat in the pickup and watched it hail and there was fire coming out of the roof of the house at least four feet high.”
She credits more than plain luck in getting out of the house safely. “I know it was God’s hand doing it,” she said.
Ansley Fire Department and Broken Bow Fire Department were among the responders. She said the big ladder truck from Broken Bow got stuck in the yard.
“It backed off in the grass and sunk in the mud,” she said. “They brought in a big John Deere tractor and pulled it out.”
The Leggetts spent the first two nights after the fire in a motel. On May 1, through a set of fortunate circumstances, they were able to secure an apartment in Broken Bow.
The State Fire Marshal has ruled lightning striking the electric meter as the cause, according to Leggett.
Right now plans are up in the air. They have a six month lease on the apartment with an option for another six months if needed. In time, they will decide whether or not rebuilding is part of the future. Leggett is leaning on her faith in God. “We’re kind of having to pray about it and see where He leads us,” she said.
The community has offered a lot of support. A meal train has been started and a Go Fund Me account has been set up. In addition, those wanting to donate can stop by any branch of Nebraska State Bank and donate to the Tom Leggett account.