MISSOULA — Just two days after a Missoula house was destroyed by an explosive fire, MTN News visited the scene with the homeowner.
He's known as Papa Randy Oppegaard and is a well-loved member of his neighborhood.
Hugging his neighbors Rachel and Joe, Oppegaard said, "I love all you guys. Your support, your friendship, everything.” Joe replied, “Glad you weren’t home Randy.”
“He was supposed to be here.” Oppegaard originally wasn’t scheduled to work. But luckily, he was at Garden City Floral delivering flowers when the fire started," neighbor Rachel added.
“If somebody walks up and hands you flowers, all you got is a big smile on your face and that right there means everything to me and my heart. I'm making somebody happy,” Oppegaard said about his job.
Oppegaard neighbors said he's always there to help his fellow neighbors.
“We're basically family around here in this neighborhood and we love it. We watch out for everybody — each other. I would turn around and try to take care of the front all the way here and all the way down in their driveway and I the neighbor's driveway and everything,” Oppegaard shared.
Neighbors called Oppegaard at work and told him the devastating news.
“I called him and I was like your house blew up and it's the worst, the worst thing you could ever tell a person that you lost everything, everything you own," Rachel explained.
Oppegaard then rushed over to his home.
“My reaction was I was heartbroken. I am still reasonably heartbroken. When that explosion, it took the whole bedrooms and everything off the back and everything. And I lost both of my cats. Last year. I had to put both of my dogs down so I didn't have them otherwise they would have been in the house too,” he told MTN News.
Family along with other friends and neighbors are what’s helping Randy get through this tough time, and he's feeling grateful for the Missoula community.
“I’ve got so many people in this town that know the family and we're well loved and I am very grateful for the people that [are] supporting us.”
If you would like to help Randy, you can go to his GoFundMe or call his daughter Bambi at 406-544-7373.
