Another Plainfield Family Copes With Devastating House Fire

Caption: 1) The Leffer grandchildren, Josh, 7, Logan, 5, and their sister, Savannah, 3. 2 & 3) The devastating aftereffects of Leffer home in the 1200 block of Jauphin Driver after a March 20 house fire.

What are the odds of two house fires happening in Plainfield within a few days of each other?

Well, it happened last Friday in the 1200 block of Jauphin Drive, displacing a family of eight.

The Leffer family’s quiet afternoon was interrupted by a neighbor pounding on their door around 4:30 p.m., screaming that their house was on fire.

“It went up the exterior wall to the roof and got half way through the attic, that’s how hot and fast it was,” Larry Leffer, 57, said.

Black smoke was already starting to pour out of the vent in an upstairs bedroom where when the neighbor pounded on their door.

>>> READ: Neighbors Rally To Help Plainfield Family After House Fire

The family managed to get out of the house safely. Leffer’s 3-year-old daughter, Savannah, was napping when she was roused out o fsleep. She went out into the cold wearing only a pullup.

Leffer’s daughter was wearing shorts and tank top. He says that his daughter was in too much shock to realize when she and Savannah were clothed by caring neighbors.

“Neighbors put gym shoes, socks and pants on my daughter,” Larry Leffer said.

Their home sustained heavy damage and the Leffers are still waiting to hear if it’s total loss. The blaze caps off a not-so-great year when the family suffered some financial setbacks after Leffer underwent open heart surgery a year ago.

Leffer, his wife, Donna, 53, their two adult daughters, her daughter’s boyfriend, and three grandchildren have been staying at a local hotel.

After seeing the outpouring of support for the Humann family, who were burned out of their Plainfield home last Sunday, residents Jody Kobal and her friend, Irene Torres, started a GoFundMe campaign to help the Leffers.

“They don’t have any family nearby to help them,” Kobal said.

Kobal and Irene Torres have already collected a garage full of clothing and household items to help the Leffers get back on their feet.

“The generosity have been overwhelming, I cannot even express it,” said Donna Leffer, 53. “Plainfield is a very compassionate town.”

Donna was at work when the fire broke out. Since the fire, local restaurants have stepped up in a big way.

Baby Back Ribs at 16200 S Lincoln Hwy. has had the family in for a free dinner. Olive Garden also sent over dinner to the family’s hotel.

Marco’s Pizza, 14220 Lincoln Highway, Plainfield, is also planning a fundraiser to help the Leffer and Humann families.

A young man stopped by their hotel on Wednesday and brought three bags of brand new toys for the Leffers’ grandchildren, and a construction worker who saw the fire last Friday, put gas in Donna’s car and told her to “pay it forward.”

Her grandsons, Josh, 7, and Logan, 5, have been seeing grief counselors at Troy Elementary School. Donna said that Logan is taking the fire hard.

“Every night, he puts his fears in a box,” his grandma said. “He’s afraid to go to sleep.”

On Wednesday evening, Donna Leffer went over to Kobal’s house to pick up some supplies. Until the fire, she and Kobal had never met.

“God sent her to us, she has been an angel,” Deonna Leffer said. “Jody called and said, ‘I want to help.’ It’s hard to ask for help, but I told her I needed it.”

The Leffer family is looking to rent a home with a six-month lease, until they can figure out what is going to happen with their house.

They’re in need of water, juice and laundry soap. Gift cards for gas, Target, Walmart and supermarkets are also needed right now.

Anyone who wishes to help, or knows of a house, condo, or townhome available with a short-term lease, can contact Jody Kobal by email at pjkobs@sbcglobal.net. You can also contact Lorraine Swanson at Plainfield Patch, lorraine.swanson@patch.com, and we can put you in touch with the Leffer and Humann families.

To make a monetary donation, visit the Leffers’ GoFundMe page.