KELOLAND.com

Donations pour in following house explosion

FORT PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — A house explosion near Fort Pierre that killed three people, including an infant girl Wednesday, has resulted in an outpouring of emotional and financial support from people across South Dakota. The Stanley County sheriff confirmed Thursday that 61-year-old LaDonna Hupp, her husband, 66-year-old William, and their 6-month-old granddaughter Harper died in the explosion. People have been donating thousands of dollars, many of them complete strangers.

Volunteers with First Dakota National Bank have been helping clean up debris at the site of the deadly explosion.

“Like we do in this region, and this part of the state and part of the country, we’re rallying to help in any way we can,” First Dakota National Bank Ag Banking Division President Nate Franzen said.

Homeowner Trevor Hupp, who lost his infant daughter and parents in the explosion, works for First Dakota National Bank as an ag banker.

“He’s a young up-and-comer in our company and hard-working rodeo kid, farm kid, he knows how to take care of our ag customers,” Franzen said.

First Dakota National has also set up an account for the Hupp family.

“If you think about it, they have the clothes on their back and everything else was destroyed in the explosion, so it’s a, try to put yourself in their shoes. It’s hard to fathom,” Franzen said.

Financial help is pouring in from all corners of South Dakota. The owner of Plato’s Closet in Sioux Falls donated $500 to a GoFundMe, even though she doesn’t know the family.

“Oh, I just thought, I can’t imagine what they’re going through. That’s horrible and as a mom and grandma, it just really, it touches you,” Jackie Fitzer said.

Jackie Fitzer says such generosity among South Dakotans is typical when tragedy strikes. Even the smallest donation can be a big help to a family who has lost so much.

“I don’t know how you live with that and how you get through it, but hopefully, they have that kind of strength and support,” Fitzer said.

“We’re a hardy people, we’re a generous people and when we see good people down, we help,” Franzen said.

The state fire marshal is looking into the cause of the explosion, but authorities say it does not appear to be suspicious.