TOWN OF OSCEOLA – It was a Sunday night that started off like any other for Jeff “Mo” Moser, who owned a trailer in the Northern Detour Campground near Poplar Lake. All of his other neighbors only lived in their trailer homes during the warmer months but for the past 16 years this was his year-round home.
Moser was halfway through his routine-nighttime shower, just past 9 p.m., on Sunday, March 12. That is when his telephone rang. It was property co-owner Jeremy Hall warning Moser that a fire had broken out in the campground and was actually just a few trailers away from his. Moser would have six minutes from that phone call until the flames leaped to his trailer.
Then came a knock at the door from a passerby also warning of the fire that was quickly being whipped toward his property thanks to gusty mid-March winds. Moser had just enough time to throw on some clothes and escape. Luckily, the pair of jeans that he had on before were in the bathroom – and contained the keys to his vehicle. Or else his car would have been part of the loss, too. There was no time to escape with anything else with the way the flames were quickly spreading.
Unfortunately, Moser did not have any insurance on his trailer. He explained, “What happened is I bought this older trailer. And when I bought it there was no title. And I have tried and I have insurance on my vehicles. The insurance company has tried many times over the years to figure out a way to insure me but without a title there was nothing they could really do for me. Literally two weeks before the fire, I asked my insurance agent to check again and see if there was anything they could do. And without a title, they said no, we are very sorry.”
The devastation of the fire, coupled with no insurance, means Moser is pretty much out of luck, with all his personal possessions lost. Before the blaze could be contained, two campers, a motor home, park-model camper and trailer house were destroyed or damaged at the Northern Detour Campground.
Mosley’s daughter, Amy Quigly, decided to establish an online fundraiser for her dad. She explained, “Everyone that knows our dad knows that his greatest joys are his children and grandchildren, the time that he served in the Navy, and his love of the great outdoors. Dad's house was not only the place where he lived, but it was also his garage and shop. Everything that he owned was inside and due to unfortunate circumstances, there was no insurance. Neighbors, friends and the VA have already started to gather clothes and household item donations, but we are starting this GoFundMe to help him rebuild his life/home. Of course, we can never bring back the irreplaceable items that he has lost, but if you would like to donate and help give him a fresh start, any amount would be very much appreciated.”
The GoFundMe page for Moser can be viewed on Facebook at gofund.me/8c552f1e.
There will also be a benefit on Sunday, May 21, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., at the Milltown Community Center. This includes a pancake breakfast with a raffle drawing.
Moser has already received some donations and says he is amazed by the community’s support and the friends he didn’t realize he had. He said, “I am so overwhelmed with the generosity of the people that are coming forth. I'm a very private person. I have a very hard time asking anybody for help.”
When it comes to how Moser is coping with losing everything, he says that he has “some good days and some bad days, but I am trying to keep my sense of humor.” Moser also says he think about the fire almost all the time. He explained, “I've never been afraid of fire in my life. And what I've found now is I'd be at my daughter’s; I'll make a pot of coffee. I'll pour a cup. If I'm going to leave the house for half an hour, I turned the coffeepot off.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
One other thing Moser would like help with is finding the passerby who alerted him that the fire was quickly spreading to his trailer. Moser explained, “Boy, I would really like to find whoever that was. He might have helped save my life. He came to my door, said he was driving by, ran up to my door and he said you need to get out of here, the place behind is on fire. I wasn’t thinking and never got that man’s name. But he stayed with me while I got dressed and until he knew that I was out safe. But I would really like to just say thank you to him, if he sees your article in the Inter-County Leader and was willing to come forward to you guys.”
Moser’s dream would be to use some of the donations to buy a small farmhouse somewhere in the Osceola, Dresser or St. Croix Falls area. He doubts he would ever feel comfortable living in another trailer again after what happened a few weeks ago.
