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Sean Hales - Messenger photo
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Volunteers from Sanpete communities gathered last Saturday at the site of the trailer fire in Chester to clean away the charred remains of the home, and prepare the lot for a new home being renovated in Manti.
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Sean Hales - Messenger photo
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A pile of wooden debris waits to be burned. Metal debris was hauled off by Seven States recycling in Ephraim, and the proceeds from the salvage metal will be donated to the fire victim, Sandra Murphy.
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Sanpete charity on display
By Lloyd Call
2-22-06
Multi-community volunteer effort helps clean up residue of tragic Chester fire
CHESTER—On Saturday, Feb. 18 over 100 volunteers helped clean up the fire-damaged debris left at the property of Sandra Murphy in Chester.
As an article in last week’s Messenger reported, Murphy’s home, a singlewide trailer, was destroyed by fire on Dec. 19. Her mother, Tonie Stulce, was in the trailer at the time of the fire, and she later died in the burn unit at the University of Utah Medical Center.
Wayde Austad, Manti Chamber of Commerce first vice-president, who is spearheading the project to help Murphy, reported that volunteers showed up throughout the day, piled wood debris in one pile to be burned and collected metal debris into other piles.
Old livestock fencing was torn down, except for one outbuilding.
Two of Murphy’s dogs at the site, who are being taken care of by neighbors, alternately cowered in bewilderment and then capered for attention. “Those dogs didn’t know what to think of all us,” said one volunteer.
Dan Corcoran, his crews, and other heavy equipment operators tore down the trailer home and cut and hauled off all the metal to Seven States Recycling in Ephraim. Seven States is donating all the salvage value of the steel to Murphy.
“We just couldn’t have done it without all the many volunteers,” said Austad.
Another trailer is being repaired and renovated at the Temple Hill Resort in Manti for Murphy’s use. On Thursday, students from the Snow College building program are going to fix up the electrical and plumbing systems in the trailer, Austad said.
Donations of furniture, appliances, food, clothing, bedding, and other necessaries are being accepted at the campground. Financial donations are being accepted at any Zions Bank branch under the name of Sandra Murphy.
As soon as weather permits, other volunteers will repair the septic tank and make new connections for power and propane at the Chester site.
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