Ottawa native seeks aid after losing everything in house fire

Ottawa native Jessica Breen (formerly Dresen) and her husband, Patrick, are seeking help after losing everything to a fire on April 4 at what was their new home in Talladega, Alabama.

Jessica said she woke up at 2 a.m. and checked the bathroom’s frosted window, noticing a light outside. When she touched the window, it was warm and by the time she reached a clear window, their whole shed was engulfed in flames.

She called 911 and grabbed her daughter, Ireland, and their dog, Hades. The flames reached the home as soon as they all got outside. By the time the time the fire station was able to reach the scene, the fire had grown too wild for them to save anything.

“We got down there and bought this house back in June or July and we had all the inspections done and everything,” Jessica said. “We finally have our house, and then there’s an electrical fire. We’re really far from home and we don’t have any family down there.”

The loss of their home came right as Jessica and Patrick had their 11th anniversary.

“I’ve never been in a situation like this and it’s like, we bought our first home,” Jessica said. “We’re so excited to finally have a place we can call our own. We have all these plans and now we just don’t know. Nobody knows, and we’re trying to figure everything out again.”

Anyone wishing to donate can go to First State Bank in Ottawa and let the teller know they are donating to Jessica and Patrick Breen. There is also a GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/breen-family-lost-everything-in-a-house-fire.