Son of Darin & Becky (Hanak) Ahlers.
From the Omaha World-Herald Newpaper:
WISNER, Neb. - A grieving family sorted through the charred remains of a white-frame home today as this small northeast Nebraska town came to grips with a fire that claimed the lives of a father and three of his children.
Darin Ahlers with his five children. Patrick and Theresa, pictured with Ahlers in the top row, didn't live with their father. Bottom row, from left, are Damion, Deon and Dustin.
Darin Ahlers, 32, and two children, Damion, 5, and Dustin, 4, perished in the dense smoke of the fast-moving blaze Thursday morning. Three-year-old Deon Ahlers was pronounced dead at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in West Point, Neb.
"It's tough," said Randall Ahlers of Norfolk, one of Darin Ahlers' brothers, who was helping at the site of the fire today.
The blaze was caused by a child playing with matches, authorities said. The home had no smoke alarms.
"A smoke detector would have made a big difference," said Wade Eisenhauer, chief of the Wisner Volunteer Fire Department. "They save lives."
Eisenhauer said most of his firefighters attended a debriefing session with mental-health professions Thursday night to help deal with the trauma of the deadly fire, the first in this community of 1,200 in two decades.
"It's hitting some of the guys pretty hard," he said. "A lot of them have kids that age."
Authorities said the fire started about 7:45 a.m., destroying the home at 808 Seventh St.
Deon Ahlers and his father were sleeping when the fire began, said Darin Ahlers' sister, Denise Czapla of Duncan, Neb.
"My brother Darin was a wonderful dad and a great person," Czapla said. "Our mother is still in shock. This just hits really hard."
Darin Ahlers and three of his five children lived at the house with his mother, Geraldine Ahlers. She was already at work when the fire broke out, Czapla said.
Firefighters in Wisner, Neb., battle the blaze Thursday that killed Darin Ahlers, 32, and his three youngest children. Authorities said the fire was caused by a child playing with matches.
Her brother had separated from his wife about a month ago, she said.
Czapla said her brother, who had attended Wisner-Pilger High School, was out of work because of a back injury.
"When he wasn't spending time with his children, Darin would be helping his mother, hanging out with his brothers, watching movies or listening to country music," she said.
Two older children, Patrick, 11, and Theresa, 7, did not live with Ahlers.
"The kids were just so energetic," Czapla said. "They loved their dad. He was kind of a free spirit who really loved hanging out with his kids and doing his own thing."
Ahlers came from a family of 15 children, most of whom live within two hours of Wisner.
"We're getting by OK for now," Czapla said. "It kind of hasn't sunk in yet."
The fire was ruled accidental after an investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office.
From the Omaha World-Herald Newpaper:
WISNER, Neb. - A grieving family sorted through the charred remains of a white-frame home today as this small northeast Nebraska town came to grips with a fire that claimed the lives of a father and three of his children.
Darin Ahlers with his five children. Patrick and Theresa, pictured with Ahlers in the top row, didn't live with their father. Bottom row, from left, are Damion, Deon and Dustin.
Darin Ahlers, 32, and two children, Damion, 5, and Dustin, 4, perished in the dense smoke of the fast-moving blaze Thursday morning. Three-year-old Deon Ahlers was pronounced dead at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in West Point, Neb.
"It's tough," said Randall Ahlers of Norfolk, one of Darin Ahlers' brothers, who was helping at the site of the fire today.
The blaze was caused by a child playing with matches, authorities said. The home had no smoke alarms.
"A smoke detector would have made a big difference," said Wade Eisenhauer, chief of the Wisner Volunteer Fire Department. "They save lives."
Eisenhauer said most of his firefighters attended a debriefing session with mental-health professions Thursday night to help deal with the trauma of the deadly fire, the first in this community of 1,200 in two decades.
"It's hitting some of the guys pretty hard," he said. "A lot of them have kids that age."
Authorities said the fire started about 7:45 a.m., destroying the home at 808 Seventh St.
Deon Ahlers and his father were sleeping when the fire began, said Darin Ahlers' sister, Denise Czapla of Duncan, Neb.
"My brother Darin was a wonderful dad and a great person," Czapla said. "Our mother is still in shock. This just hits really hard."
Darin Ahlers and three of his five children lived at the house with his mother, Geraldine Ahlers. She was already at work when the fire broke out, Czapla said.
Firefighters in Wisner, Neb., battle the blaze Thursday that killed Darin Ahlers, 32, and his three youngest children. Authorities said the fire was caused by a child playing with matches.
Her brother had separated from his wife about a month ago, she said.
Czapla said her brother, who had attended Wisner-Pilger High School, was out of work because of a back injury.
"When he wasn't spending time with his children, Darin would be helping his mother, hanging out with his brothers, watching movies or listening to country music," she said.
Two older children, Patrick, 11, and Theresa, 7, did not live with Ahlers.
"The kids were just so energetic," Czapla said. "They loved their dad. He was kind of a free spirit who really loved hanging out with his kids and doing his own thing."
Ahlers came from a family of 15 children, most of whom live within two hours of Wisner.
"We're getting by OK for now," Czapla said. "It kind of hasn't sunk in yet."
The fire was ruled accidental after an investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office.
Son of Darin & Becky (Hanak) Ahlers.
From the Omaha World-Herald Newpaper:
WISNER, Neb. - A grieving family sorted through the charred remains of a white-frame home today as this small northeast Nebraska town came to grips with a fire that claimed the lives of a father and three of his children.
Darin Ahlers with his five children. Patrick and Theresa, pictured with Ahlers in the top row, didn't live with their father. Bottom row, from left, are Damion, Deon and Dustin.
Darin Ahlers, 32, and two children, Damion, 5, and Dustin, 4, perished in the dense smoke of the fast-moving blaze Thursday morning. Three-year-old Deon Ahlers was pronounced dead at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in West Point, Neb.
"It's tough," said Randall Ahlers of Norfolk, one of Darin Ahlers' brothers, who was helping at the site of the fire today.
The blaze was caused by a child playing with matches, authorities said. The home had no smoke alarms.
"A smoke detector would have made a big difference," said Wade Eisenhauer, chief of the Wisner Volunteer Fire Department. "They save lives."
Eisenhauer said most of his firefighters attended a debriefing session with mental-health professions Thursday night to help deal with the trauma of the deadly fire, the first in this community of 1,200 in two decades.
"It's hitting some of the guys pretty hard," he said. "A lot of them have kids that age."
Authorities said the fire started about 7:45 a.m., destroying the home at 808 Seventh St.
Deon Ahlers and his father were sleeping when the fire began, said Darin Ahlers' sister, Denise Czapla of Duncan, Neb.
"My brother Darin was a wonderful dad and a great person," Czapla said. "Our mother is still in shock. This just hits really hard."
Darin Ahlers and three of his five children lived at the house with his mother, Geraldine Ahlers. She was already at work when the fire broke out, Czapla said.
Firefighters in Wisner, Neb., battle the blaze Thursday that killed Darin Ahlers, 32, and his three youngest children. Authorities said the fire was caused by a child playing with matches.
Her brother had separated from his wife about a month ago, she said.
Czapla said her brother, who had attended Wisner-Pilger High School, was out of work because of a back injury.
"When he wasn't spending time with his children, Darin would be helping his mother, hanging out with his brothers, watching movies or listening to country music," she said.
Two older children, Patrick, 11, and Theresa, 7, did not live with Ahlers.
"The kids were just so energetic," Czapla said. "They loved their dad. He was kind of a free spirit who really loved hanging out with his kids and doing his own thing."
Ahlers came from a family of 15 children, most of whom live within two hours of Wisner.
"We're getting by OK for now," Czapla said. "It kind of hasn't sunk in yet."
The fire was ruled accidental after an investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office.
From the Omaha World-Herald Newpaper:
WISNER, Neb. - A grieving family sorted through the charred remains of a white-frame home today as this small northeast Nebraska town came to grips with a fire that claimed the lives of a father and three of his children.
Darin Ahlers with his five children. Patrick and Theresa, pictured with Ahlers in the top row, didn't live with their father. Bottom row, from left, are Damion, Deon and Dustin.
Darin Ahlers, 32, and two children, Damion, 5, and Dustin, 4, perished in the dense smoke of the fast-moving blaze Thursday morning. Three-year-old Deon Ahlers was pronounced dead at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in West Point, Neb.
"It's tough," said Randall Ahlers of Norfolk, one of Darin Ahlers' brothers, who was helping at the site of the fire today.
The blaze was caused by a child playing with matches, authorities said. The home had no smoke alarms.
"A smoke detector would have made a big difference," said Wade Eisenhauer, chief of the Wisner Volunteer Fire Department. "They save lives."
Eisenhauer said most of his firefighters attended a debriefing session with mental-health professions Thursday night to help deal with the trauma of the deadly fire, the first in this community of 1,200 in two decades.
"It's hitting some of the guys pretty hard," he said. "A lot of them have kids that age."
Authorities said the fire started about 7:45 a.m., destroying the home at 808 Seventh St.
Deon Ahlers and his father were sleeping when the fire began, said Darin Ahlers' sister, Denise Czapla of Duncan, Neb.
"My brother Darin was a wonderful dad and a great person," Czapla said. "Our mother is still in shock. This just hits really hard."
Darin Ahlers and three of his five children lived at the house with his mother, Geraldine Ahlers. She was already at work when the fire broke out, Czapla said.
Firefighters in Wisner, Neb., battle the blaze Thursday that killed Darin Ahlers, 32, and his three youngest children. Authorities said the fire was caused by a child playing with matches.
Her brother had separated from his wife about a month ago, she said.
Czapla said her brother, who had attended Wisner-Pilger High School, was out of work because of a back injury.
"When he wasn't spending time with his children, Darin would be helping his mother, hanging out with his brothers, watching movies or listening to country music," she said.
Two older children, Patrick, 11, and Theresa, 7, did not live with Ahlers.
"The kids were just so energetic," Czapla said. "They loved their dad. He was kind of a free spirit who really loved hanging out with his kids and doing his own thing."
Ahlers came from a family of 15 children, most of whom live within two hours of Wisner.
"We're getting by OK for now," Czapla said. "It kind of hasn't sunk in yet."
The fire was ruled accidental after an investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
