WESSINGTON SPRINGS, S.D. (KELO) — People in Wessington Springs are still mourning the loss of two people killed in a house fire.
The fire started on March 27th, and the bodies of Assistant Fire Chief Michial Brodkorb and his partner Tiffany Knipfer were found by authorities the next day.
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At Brodkorb’s funeral Saturday, the community honored the fallen firefighter.
There was a long line of fire trucks along 2nd Street in Wessington Springs. There were also Jerauld County Sheriff vehicles as well as a county ambulance. It didn’t matter whether the first responders had to travel a few minutes or even two hours. To them, it was the right thing to do.
“The reason we’re all here is we’re here in remembrance, knowing that he’s a brother. He would be here for us if it was reversed,” Michael Namanny of the Miller Fire Department said.
“I think it’s very important for all the departments, the cops, the sheriff’s, ambulances, first responders, anybody to just come out and support the fire family and any of the first responder families,” Todd Intermill of the Bruce Fire Department said.
The support also meant a lot to the Wessington Springs Fire Department.
“I was awestruck,” Wessington Springs Fire Chief Eric Schroeder said. “It means the world to us. It would mean the world to Michial that we have that amount of support from fire departments from all corners of the state.”
And it was all for a man who made his mark as both a first responder and as a member of the community.
“Michial was a truly an amazing person. He meant the world to this department. He gave us 110% every time he had the chance. He responded to every call. He’s going to be deeply missed,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder also says that Michial’s partner, Tiffany, was heavily involved with the fire department. She even spent time helping remodel the fire house.
