Minnesota family has much to be thankful for 1 year after Thanksgiving home explosion
LINWOOD TOWNSHIP, Minn. -- A Minnesota family is spending Thanksgiving reflecting on how far they've come.
Last Thanksgiving, Staci and Geno Christensen lost everything they owned when their home in Linwood Township near Stacy burned down in a devastating fire.
They seriously considered skipping the holiday this year.
"We really, for like the last year, talked about just like ordering Chinese food and just like hanging out," Staci said. "We literally had nothing."
The Christensens suspect a gas leak combined with the oil in their turkey fryer to cause the explosion that took off part of their house.
Miraculously, no one in their family was hurt, but they were trapped inside. All of them, including the young children and a pregnant Staci, were forced to jump off their 16-foot deck to escape.
Everything they owned was lost, including cellphones, wallets and vital documents like birth certificates and Social Security cards.
"Tragedy happened on Thanksgiving," Geno said. "I don't know if you're ever gonna overcome that on this holiday."
What came next though led to a thankfulness that'll never leave them.
"There were so many different people that helped us," Geno said. "So many. People we didn't even know. We would not be here today without that help."
After months of moving between various hotels and other temporary arrangements, the Christensens rebuilt their home and moved in this summer. Accessible exits from every part of the house were a focus in rebuilding.
Staci also had their new baby boy, Geno.
"He's been a huge bright spot," she said. "The siblings and us just, you know, absolutely adore him. We couldn't be literally more thankful."
For an extra dose of thankfulness, Staci called the fire department Thursday morning to express her appreciation for all they did last year.
