Written by Amanda Coers – Every Sunday, Breanna and Ryan Boenicke travel from Brookesmith to Bangs to visit Breanna’s mother. This simple habit of visiting family may have saved their lives. While the family of four was away from home, a fire broke out sometime around 11 a.m., destroying their home and everything in it.

Brownwood, Early, Bangs, Winchell, and Brookesmith Fire Departments all responded to the fast-moving blaze after a concerned neighbor saw smoke rising from the family’s rural property. The neighbor at first thought it could be a trash fire, but after noting windy conditions for the day, became concerned and went to check on the Boenickes. When he arrived, he saw flames coming from the couple’s bedroom.

“He opened the door and screamed inside to see if we were in there,” Breanna said after speaking with her neighbor.

After making sure no one was inside, the neighbor called the Brookesmith Fire Department. Both of Ryan’s parents are members of the rural volunteer fire department and several of the firefighters were in church as the news broke over the scanner. Ryan’s mother called his father, who was at work at Superior Cable in Brownwood. His father left work to help fight the fire, and called his son.

Though multiple departments responded, the home could not be saved. It is unclear how the fire started, and the Brownwood Fire Marshall is currently investigating.

“I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy,” said Breanna. “Just the empty feeling is horrid, knowing you no longer have a home to go home to at the end of the day is hell.”

Ryan had lived in home since 2007, and was joined recently by Breanna and her six year old son, Fenix. The couple has a four month old son, Benjamin, together. They were just married last week. What should be a season of setting up house and building a life together has turned to ash.

 

Ryan and Breanna had just finished decorating Fenix’s room, full of his favorite superhero: Spiderman.

“He just put new posters up, everything was set up, his action figures, everything,” his mother shared. “He was very upset to lose everything.”

And while the family is thankful to be alive and safe together, it’s difficult to begin the process of rebuilding. Fenix attends school in Brookesmith, and the family is currently staying in a hotel as they plan their next steps. Another blessing in disguise: their truck was not at the home, as it needs transmission repair, and the family still has one vehicle to take Fenix to school. Ryan works in at Resource Care in Cross Plains as a Phlebotomist. It’s a lot of back and forth travel, made even more difficult with the loss of their home.

Family and friends have come together to donate diapers, formula, and some clothes for the family. Friends have established a GoFundMe Account to help raise a little money to get the Boenickes back on their feet: https://www.gofundme.com/wrrzkz4-house-burndt-down

A Zumba Fundraiser is also being held by Fitness on Point on January 31st from 6-7 p.m. at 211 Fisk Avenue in downtown Brownwood. Cost is $10 and the money will be donated to the family.