Kenosha family seeks help after fire kills mother, hospitalizes father
KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Nearly one week after a fire destroyed their childhood home, the sons of Tadd and Patricia Gasser are trying to salvage what they can from the mostly burnt house.
They already know there's no replacing the life of their mother. Patricia, 71, died inside the house Sunday afternoon; investigators say the fire started in her bedroom. Tadd, who turns 76 on Saturday, tried desperately to get her out of the house, but the flames were too much.
David and Charles Gasser explain their dad tried to go back inside after catching a breath of fresh air. The brothers credit Dan Mosley, who was at a home next door when the fire started, with pulling Tadd out of the house as flames overtook the home.
"We showed up as they had my mom pulled out of the house, and my dad was in an ambulance," Charles Gasser said. "So, watching my childhood home burn and the flames still coming out actively, it was very traumatic."
On Friday, the brothers made progress in clearing out the house. Inside, the floors and walls in every room on the main floor were coated in soot.
David Gasser said he immediately made the three-hour drive from his home in Clintonville, west of Green Bay, when he was alerted to the fire. He's remained in Kenosha since, helping his family sort through belongings and save what they can.
"Seeing where the fire started, it was in my mom's room," he said. "And I know she never left the room, so that was pretty hard."
A silver lining for the brothers was discovering a trove of old family photos was somehow largely unscathed.
David and Charles Gasser are salvaging what they can after their childhood home in Kenosha burned.
— A.J. Bayatpour (@AJBayatpour) January 27, 2024
Their mom died in the fire, and their dad is in the hospital. Today, they discovered a trove of old family photos somehow still intact. pic.twitter.com/rAmyGrTsYB
Kenosha Fire Division Chief Jake Waldschmidt said Friday investigators have narrowed down the possible cause to two options: either electrical or smoking.
The Gasser brothers said Patricia needed an oxygen tank, so once the fire started, her room was immediately engulfed.
Tadd was hospitalized in critical condition, but the brothers said he was moved out of intensive care Wednesday. When they were able to talk to their dad, they learned he'd let the home insurance policy lapse.
"My dad's on a fixed income, which is why he didn't have insurance," Charles said.
Tadd briefly spoke to CBS 58 over the phone from the hospital Friday afternoon.
"I was a dummy and didn't have insurance, and everybody that helps us: God bless you," he said.
Tadd's pain was raw, both physically and emotionally. Charles explained his parents first got married in 1970, but it wasn't exactly a Hollywood love story.
"Off and on, you know? They've been married to each other three times," Charles said. "It's a cute story."
Tadd and Patricia Gasser in some of their earliest days as a couple
In the end, they were together.
"I miss my wife," Tadd said through tears. "I miss my wife already."
David said his fondest memories of his mother will be her offers to feed anyone in sight.
"If you wanted a cookie, she was there for you. Everybody knows you're gonna get a lot of them," he said. "Even as children, when the neighborhood kids would come over, my friends, my brother's friends, she always fed them."
The brothers said their heart also aches because they're seeing their father in need. It's a cruel twist, they said, because he'd long established a reputation in the neighborhood for being everyone's handyman.
Whether it was building fences, repairing siding, or even working on cars, they said Tadd had the tools and the talent to get the job done.
"He's been helping these folks in this neighborhood for well over 40 years, and that's just the kind of person that he is," Charles said. "So, this is the time he needs something, so if we can give back anything, that'd be great."
The Gasser family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money, both to help Tadd with everyday expenses and to rebuild the house. You can donate here.