SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – A man who has dedicated his whole life to answering the call for help, found himself on the other end of that line. KTIV reports a newly red-tagged house, belongs to the Pierson Fire Department’s Fire Chief Lucas Ploen, along with his wife and three children. The family lost all of their possessions in the fire, which was called-in by a neighbor at around 1-p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6th.

Kingsley, Pierson and Correctionville’s fire departments all responded and were on scene within 8 minutes. The fire began on the second floor, but quickly spread. The cause of the blaze remained under investigation. The office of the Iowa State Fire Marshal will be on the scene this coming week to conduct an investigation.

No one was home at the time, but two animals were inside. A neighbor and a volunteer firefighter who hadn’t put his gear on yet, ran into the burning house save them. The dogs were rushed to a vet in Sioux City and were released back to the family the next day.

The community has rallied together for the family. The fire station has begun collecting donations, Woodbury Central has already begun giving boxes of donations, and a local pet store, has donated food and toys for the dogs.

Security National Bank has opened an account for the family. If you would like to make a monetary donation, you can visit any branch, just mention their names when making the deposit. If you’d like to donate items, you can reach out to the Pierson Fire Department.