FIELDING – The Box Elder community is rallying around Fairgrounds Director & Fair Board President Jan Rhodes, who lost her home to a fire Tuesday afternoon. Rhodes was working at the fair at the time of the fire.
Brian Garn, the incident commander and assistant fire chief, said the fire was discovered by a passerby at about 3 p.m.
By the time the Fielding all-volunteer fire department arrived the fire had burned long enough it became a defensive battle.
“No one was home at the time and the fire totally destroyed the home inside and out,” he said. “There was only a small number of personal items recovered.”
Box Elder County Fire Department was called in to help and so was Plymouth, Garland and Tremonton fire departments to help extinguish the fire in the 90-degree heat.
“Some community members have provided her with a place to stay,” the incident commander said. “At this time, we haven’t determined the cause of the fire.”
Lynnette Crockett, Box Elder County Tourism Office Marketing & Box Elder County Fair Board member, said Rhodes has been a cornerstone of the community and the driving force behind the Box Elder County Fair and Rodeo.
“We extend our deepest thoughts and prayers to Jan during this difficult time,” she said. “Several members of our community have stepped up to support Jan.”
Crockett said they’ve been asked to pass this information on to anyone who wants to help.
Her extended family is collecting donations via GoFundMe and Venmo to @brinley-rhodes and @tiffany-fergusonrhodes.
In addition to the GoFundMe and Venmo, Box Elder Junior Livestock Auction has set up a link on its website to collect donations. Visit their website for additional information. Your generosity and kindness during this time mean the world to Jan and her loved ones.
“Despite this tragic event, Jan’s dedication and spirit inspire our community to carry on with this week’s festivities,” she said. “We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the Box Elder County Fair and Golden Spike Rodeo.
“This is a time for the community to have fun, and celebrate, and we know Jan would want us all to come together during this special week.
“Thank you to all who love and support Jan,” Crockett added. “Our love and prayers remain with her and her family during this challenging time.”
Please direct any donations to these accounts: Link for GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/rally-for-jan-rhodes BEJL Auction Website: https://bejlauction.com/home
The Box Elder County Fair cannot legally accept any donations for Rhodes. They are encouraging the public to donate to the sites listed.