Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Chase Skogberg stands outside of the burned out trailer where last week he pulled Jeremy Blank to safety. Skogberg entered the burning trailer and pulled Blank out just seconds before more explosions rocked the trailer.

NEW ULM — An explosive fire in Oakwood Estates last week destroyed two trailer homes, but fortunately, due to the quick actions of one neighbor, no lives were lost.

Chase Skogberg is a 22-year-old resident of Oakwood Estates. He lives with his parents, Tammy and Scott. In the early morning hours of Tuesday, Nov. 8, Chase managed to pull his neighbor, Jeremy Blank, out of the fire, likely saving his life.

The fire in Oakwood Estates started at 12:48 a.m. with a loud explosion. Following the investigation, it is believed an appliance, possibly a washer or dryer, exploded in Blank’s trailer.

Chase Skogberg said he was getting ready for bed and had laid down for the night when the explosion occurred.

“The boom shook the whole house,” Skogberg said.

At first, he had no idea what caused it. He briefly thought it was a plane crash. He glanced out his bedroom window and saw flames reflecting off a fence and realized there was a fire in the neighborhood.

Skogberg said he immediately went to wake his father to alert him to the problem, then went outside to see what happened.

The Skogberg family lives about 50 yards from Blank’s trailer. From the Skogberg front door there is a straight line of sight to Blank’s trailer.

Chase Skogberg did not hesitate to act. He immediately ran to the trailer that was now partially engulfed in fire. Chase was so quick to act, he had neglected to even put on a pair of shoes. He was still dressed in only his bedclothes.

Skogberg said he first went to the side door of Blank’s trailer, but it was locked. He then went around to the front and saw the garage door was partially open. Skogberg crawled under the door to get in and found Blank lying on the ground directly on the opposite side of the locked door. Blank had already sustained burns to part of his body.

Skogberg was able to get behind Blank, lift him and drag him out of the trailer through the garage. Skogberg estimated that from when he saw the trailer on fire to pulling Blank out of the trailer took less than five minutes. Scott Skogberg confirmed his son was out the door and had Blank in their trailer in a very quick time.

Chase Skogberg admitted he was extremely fortunate to sustain no injuries. He managed to run into a trailer fire with bare feet and come out unscathed. The timing was even more fortunate because moments after he exited the garage with Blank, two more explosions erupted within the garage. The additional explosions likely happened when the fire reached gas tanks stored in the garage or possibly one of the tanks on a vehicle stored inside. Whatever the cause, the partially open garage door Skogberg crawled in and out of was completely blown out seconds after escaping the trailer.

Blank was conscious after he was removed from the trailer. The Skogberg family was able to administer basic first aid, applying wet towels to his burns until the first responders arrived.

The Skogbergs then went to the neighboring properties to warn them about the fire spreading. They made sure everyone in danger was evacuated. Scott Skogberg said there was a lot of confusion earlier on. Not everyone in Oakwood Estates realized how bad the fire was at first. The fire did spread to the two next-door trailers. The trailer downwind was also a total loss.

The New Ulm Fire Department arrived on the scene roughly 15 minutes after the initial explosion. By this time, everyone who needed to evacuate was out. Crews had the fires under control in about one hour.

Blank was the only person to sustain injuries from the explosion and fire. He was later transported to a burn unit in the Twin Cities. A Go Fund Me page was started for Blank to help with his medical bills and to get back on his feet after he lost everything in the fire. A Nov. 11 post on the Go Fund Me page indicated Blank is recovering but will require additional care for his wounds.

Blank’s injuries would have been significantly worse if Skogberg had not acted as quickly as he did. Asked what made him act so quickly, Skogberg said he knew there was someone inside the trailer and they needed to get out.

Skogberg’s actions likely saved Blank’s life but were also incredibly risky. His parents both admitted that if they could have stopped their son from running into the trailer fire, they would have.

His father Scott knew enough about fires to know this one was especially bad and running into was very dangerous. However, a neighbor’s life was saved as a result.

Scott Skogberg said his son’s actions were how neighbors should treat other neighbors and hopes someone would do the same for them if the situation were reversed.

Oakwood Estates residents can rest comfortably knowing Chase Skogberg is watching out for them.