By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

Mercedes Love, 24, and her 4-year-old son, Christian, were asleep in the same bed early Thursday morning when something, she doesn’t know what, woke them.

They looked out the window and saw fireballs hitting the ground. She went into the living room and saw that the whole front of the house was on fire.

She hurried back into the bedroom, attached her prosthetic leg, and led her son out the back door.

Five minutes later, the whole house exploded. Windows blew out and the house was engulfed in flames.

She said she didn’t stay to watch the destruction but got in the car and drove to her landlord Randy Ecklund’s house several miles down the road.

Ecklund returned to the house to watch as firefighters from Burdick, Lost Springs, Lincolnville, and Herington fought the fire.

“It was sad to see my boyhood home burn to the ground, but I’m glad my tenant got out OK and unharmed,” he said.

Love lost everything in the fire — clothes, food, furniture, a Christmas tree and decorations, Christmas presents, toys and books. A niece who stayed with her on weekends also lost clothes and toys.

The family has been staying here and there since the fire but was planning to move Tuesday to a rental in Herington. Love wants to move back into the Lincolnville or Burdick area whenever she finds a place to rent.

She is a graduate of Centre’s Online Learning Program and works two jobs.

“I haven’t missed a day of work since the fire,” she said.

She works at Herington Municipal Hospital and for IServe Professional Cleaning. Her son is in Centre’s pre-school program.

Love said she has received an outpouring of support from Burdick and surrounding communities. Along with many expressions of sympathy, people have donated clothes, dishes, money, and other necessities.

“We appreciate everything from all the communities that helped us out,” she said.

Donations can be made by calling Breanne Newton at (785) 561-0867.