Area agencies raise funding for Perryville family devastated by December house fire
PERRYVILLE, MO.(KBSI) – On December 11, 2025, around 7:15 am the Perryville Fire department was dispatched to a house fire on the 700 block of Bruce Street in Perryville Missouri. After arrival firefighters would learn that two children were trapped inside the home with heavy smoke and fire, and despite the rescue efforts, officials later confirmed that two children perished in the fire.
Today community members and agencies are working to help the family recover.
Patrick Naeger is the Perry County Emergency Management Director, he says after the terrible incident multiple area agencies reached out to help including the Perry County Sheriff’s Department who delivered food, St. Vincent DePaul society, Salvation Army, and the East Missouri Action Agency is now managing the funding, Naeger says Perry County Community Foundation also played a big part in organizing the funding from community members.
“That’s where the perry county community foundation came in” says Naeger. “Because there were a lot of people reaching out. They wanted to help, but we wanted to make sure that we gave them a resource that was credible, that they could trust and no doubt about it, the Perryville Community Foundation is that.”
The Perryville Community Foundation was originally started after a tornado in Perry County left multiple homes damaged, and now it helps multiple families a year in the area experiencing disasters. Naeger shares that the family is still in a hotel as they lost absolutely everything they had in the fire, he shares how community members and contribute to the family.
“They’ve set up an account, and if you want to just drop off a check, you can go to city hall, or you can go to the county clerk’s office in the courthouse, or you can donate online. There’s a website online as well, plus a QR code” says Naeger.
Perry County Emergency Management Director Patrick Naeger says that nothing will fully recover the terrible tragedy that the Perryville family has experienced but he hopes that through community support they can help lighten the load, even just a little bit.
“So, we’re just reaching out to the community, and giving them the opportunity to help this family, holidays are tough this time of the year a lot of destruction, a lot of loss.”
