Iowa residents rallied behind family displaced from weekend storms

He said they found their second floor completely burned, but the area where they prepped for Lily's high school graduation celebration was left untouched.

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LEADER KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN AT SIX. A COMMUNITY RALLIES BEHIND A FAMILY WHO LOST THEIR HOME IN A STORM RELATED FIRE. GOOD EVENING. I’M JULIE CORNELL. I’M BILL SCHAMMERT KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S MADISON PERALEZ TALKED WITH PEOPLE IN RED OAK, IOWA ABOUT THE STORMS THAT BLEW THROUGH AND HOW THEY’RE NOW HELPING EACH OTHER. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS PILE BEHIND ME, SHOWING THE SHEER AMOUNT OF DEBRIS THAT WAS TOSSED AROUND IN THE COMMUNITY OVER THE PAST WEEKEND AFTER STORMS BLEW THROUGH. NOW BURNING HERE IN AN ISOLATED PART OF RED OAK, COMMUNITY MEMBERS TELL ME WHILE THE STORMS WERE BAD, THEY WERE GRATEFUL NO ONE WAS HURT. THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SAYS THERE WERE SEVERAL RED OAK HOUSE FIRES FROM THE STORMS FRIDAY NIGHT. THE MARTENSON FAMILY LIVED IN THEIR HOME FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS. THE HOUSE IS 109 YEARS OLD, SO IT’S IT’S DEFINITELY UP TO THIS POINT, THE TEST OF TIME. THE STORM KNOCKED DOWN A POWER LINE, IGNITING THE FIRE. BUT TIM MARTENSON SAYS THEY WERE AT THEIR DAUGHTER LILY’S SOCCER GAME WHEN THEY GOT THE NEWS. EVERYTHING KIND OF JUST WENT INTO CRAZY MODE AND WE DROVE HOME, YOU KNOW, THAT HOUR AND 45 MINUTES AND THINKING, OKAY, HOW ARE WE GOING TO PROCESS THIS? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SEE? HE SAYS THEY FOUND THEIR SECOND FLOOR COMPLETELY BURNED, BUT THE AREA WHERE THEY PREPPED FOR LILY’S HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION CELEBRATION WAS LEFT UNTOUCHED. A LOT OF PICTURES THAT WE DECORATED WITH WERE ACTUALLY DOWNSTAIRS, AND THE WATER HAD NOT GOTTEN TO THEM BY THE TIME WE GOT THERE. THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY DIDN’T LET THE FIRE WRECK THEIR SUNDAY PLANS. THEY JUST THEY JUST RALLIED. AND THEY. THEY GAVE LILY THE PARTY THAT SHE DESERVED AND THAT WE WERE PLANNING ON. AND IT WAS PRETTY, PRETTY HUMBLING AND AMAZING TO SEE PEOPLE JUST LOVING LIKE THAT. RED OAK RESIDENTS ALSO LENT A HAND TO NEIGHBORS WHO COULDN’T CLEAR TREE DEBRIS. A TREE FELL OUT OF THEIR NEIGHBOR’S YARD AND WENT OVER A FENCE LINE AND HAD TO DO A BIG CLEANUP THERE. BUT IT’S BEEN DOING PRETTY GOOD. NOT TOO MUCH OUT HERE, OF COURSE, JUST HELPING OUT THE COMMUNITY FOR SURE. WE ALL TAKE PRIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY. I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, WE’VE BEEN HERE FOR SIX YEARS. WE HAVE THE FAMILY’S GOFUNDME LINK IN THI

‘Humbling and amazing’: Iowa town rallied behind family displaced from weekend storms

Updated: 6:07 PM CDT May 19, 2026

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A community rallied behind a family who lost their home in a storm-related fire.The Montgomery County Emergency Management said there were several Red Oak, Iowa, house fires from the storms Friday night.The Mardsen family lived in their home for nearly 20 years.“The house is 109 years old,” said Tim Mardsen, Red Oak resident. “So, it’s definitely, up to this point, stood the test of time.”The storm knocked down a power line, igniting the fire.PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Friday’s severe storms cause thousands to lose power in western IowaBut Mardsen said they were at their daughter, Lily’s, soccer game when they got the news.“I just went into crazy mode,” Mardsen said. “We drove home, that hour and 45 minutes, and thinking, ‘Okay, how are we going to process this? What are we going to see?’”He said they found their second floor completely burned, but the area where they prepped for Lily’s high school graduation celebration was left untouched.“A lot of her pictures that we decorated with were actually downstairs,” he said. “And the water had not gotten to them by the time we got there.”The surrounding community didn’t let the fire wreck their Sunday plans.“They just rallied, and they gave Lily the party that she deserved,” he said. “It was pretty humbling and amazing to see people just love you like that.”PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Storm damage continues to impact Red OakRed Oak residents also lent a hand to neighbors who couldn’t clear tree debris.“A tree fell out of their neighbor’s yard, went over a fence line, and had to do a big cleanup there,” Red Oak resident Victoria Ray said. “Just helping out the community.”Friends of the Mardsen family started a GoFundMe campaign to help with displacement, home, and upcoming college expenses for Lily. In just one day of the fundraiser being online, they’ve already received over $1,000.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

RED OAK, Iowa —

A community rallied behind a family who lost their home in a storm-related fire.

The Montgomery County Emergency Management said there were several Red Oak, Iowa, house fires from the storms Friday night.

The Mardsen family lived in their home for nearly 20 years.

“The house is 109 years old,” said Tim Mardsen, Red Oak resident. “So, it’s definitely, up to this point, stood the test of time.”

The storm knocked down a power line, igniting the fire.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Friday’s severe storms cause thousands to lose power in western Iowa

But Mardsen said they were at their daughter, Lily’s, soccer game when they got the news.

“I just went into crazy mode,” Mardsen said. “We drove home, that hour and 45 minutes, and thinking, ‘Okay, how are we going to process this? What are we going to see?’”

He said they found their second floor completely burned, but the area where they prepped for Lily’s high school graduation celebration was left untouched.

“A lot of her pictures that we decorated with were actually downstairs,” he said. “And the water had not gotten to them by the time we got there.”

The surrounding community didn’t let the fire wreck their Sunday plans.

“They just rallied, and they gave Lily the party that she deserved,” he said. “It was pretty humbling and amazing to see people just love you like that.”

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Storm damage continues to impact Red Oak

Red Oak residents also lent a hand to neighbors who couldn’t clear tree debris.

“A tree fell out of their neighbor’s yard, went over a fence line, and had to do a big cleanup there,” Red Oak resident Victoria Ray said. “Just helping out the community.”

Friends of the Mardsen family started a GoFundMe campaign to help with displacement, home, and upcoming college expenses for Lily. In just one day of the fundraiser being online, they’ve already received over $1,000.