The house in Defiance, Missouri, exploded on Friday morning, tragically killing two young boys, Julian Keiser, 4, and Jamison Keiser, 6. Their school had canceled classes due to extreme weather, leaving them at home when the explosion occurred. Their mother, Evelyn Turpiano, and grandparents, Jennifer and Vern Ham, managed to escape safely.

Firefighters arrived but couldn’t reach the boys in time due to the intense flames. “The fire prevented them from being found right away,” stated Chief Dan Casey of the New Melle Fire Protection District. Neighbor Sharon Oberlag, who heard the explosion, described the boys as “the nicest little boys,” adding, “They thought school was the coolest thing ever.”

The Hoffmann Family of Companies, the building’s owners, expressed their condolences: “Our hearts are with the member of our team and their family who lost their children and grandchildren.”

A GoFundMe campaign for the family has raised over $145,000. Dan Tripp, a co-owner of Good News Brewing in Defiance, started the campaign, noting that both women were active in the Defiance Merchants Association. The family will need support for the funerals and the loss of their home.

Neighbor Laura Emerson placed a Christmas wreath on the destroyed house, saying, “Those boys appeared content. They were intelligent. They were happy. They were loved.”