New Hope community rallies around family after fire destroys handicap van

NEW HOPE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The community is coming together to help a New Hope family in the wake of a devastating garage fire.

Early Saturday morning, the fire broke out in Nikki and John Jacobson's family garage, ravaging everything inside it. A DoorDash delivery driver just happened to be passing by, saw the flames, and called 911.

The fire destroyed the family's handicap-accessible van, which is a lifeline for their son, Lucas, who has cerebral palsy.

"It's our lifeline. It's the way I can go out into the community with my power wheelchair," said Lucas.

The cause of the blaze is undetermined. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the fire and the blaze didn't spread to the Jacobson's home. Community members have come together to help them get a new van, raising more than $20,000.

The family is now saying "thank you" to everyone helping them in the wake of the fire, especially that delivery driver who was in the right place at the right time.

"Thank you for saving our lives because who knows if it would have spread to the house or the neighbors?" said mom Nikki Jacobson.