Being Brave: Man who lost home to fire rebuilds while caring for 8 kids

Brave by name and brave by nature.

That sums up lifelong Sioux Falls resident Micah Brave, who over the years has opened up his home and heart to children through birth and adoption.

His heart remains committed to his kids, who range in age from 3 to 17. It’s the “home” part that now, because of a fire that destroyed his residence, is proving to be difficult.

Firefighters were called June 21 to the Brave family’s home on North Nesmith Avenue. Sioux Falls Fire Rescue sent four firetrucks to the scene and extinguished a fire on the duplex’s second floor within 10 minutes.

Brave, five of his children and a friend were sleeping in their first-floor home. The upstairs neighbor already had disrupted his sleep. She pounded on his windows demanding a ride to a gas station. They had a contentious relationship, and Brave acquiesced rather than allowing her to wake everyone else up.

After they returned, he tried to sleep again but was awake when she left 40 or so minutes later. Shortly after that, he smelled something burning.

“I checked around my unit to see if I seen anything, then I went outside and looked up and saw smoke,” Brave said. “I was screaming to make sure no one was up there, then I woke up all my house and made them go outside. By the time we got outside, the whole outside was just engulfed in flames.”

Fire department officials told Brave the fire might have been started by a hair dryer, but the investigation is ongoing.

The American Red Cross put the Brave family up in a motel the first night. Since then, Brave’s insurance company has put them up at TownePlace Suites by Marriott. Brave works two jobs, one as a janitor and the other at a Cubby’s convenience store. His free time now is occupied with making sure his kids are OK and with looking for a place to live. Midday today, he learned he will have a place to move into soon on North Dakota Avenue. The move is planned for Wednesday. The family now will live in a house, as he had hoped, rather than share a residence with other renters.

“The older ones, they’re pretty chill about it,” Brave said of his children’s attitudes in the aftermath. “The younger ones are breaking out and crying, especially my 3-year-old.”

Brave is father to two biological children, one adopted son and several years ago took custody of five nieces and nephews. His brother is unable to care for them, and their mother, who died in March, had substance abuse issues.

His family includes Crisy, who graduated this spring from Washington High School and is 17; Autumn, 16; Caiden, 12; Prestyn, 11; Allen, 8; Vernon, who is 6 but with a birthday Wednesday; and Karen or “KK,” 3. Christopher, 15, is a member of the family but currently lives elsewhere. Two of Brave’s children have developmental disabilities.

The kids lost everything in the fire, said their aunt, Micheal Stevens. She has known Brave for about 25 years. Her sister and Brave are married, and while they no longer live together, they are excellent co-parenters, she said.

After receiving a list of items her nieces and nephews needed, she realized her brother-in-law didn’t ask for anything for himself.

“Does he have clothes, a toothbrush, a charger for his cellphone,” she asked herself. “I don’t know if he has anything left.”

That’s one reason why she started a GoFundMe for the family, so the Brave family can replace some of the items they need. She hopes to raise $5,000. The most pressing need is to have a cushion for the initial rental and deposit fees and moving expenses, so Brave needs a cushion to get him through the next few months, Stevens said.

“This would create a buffer for him,” she said. Donations of clothes, toiletries and beds from Brave’s family and friends have helped fill in some of the other gaps.

Stevens describes her brother-in-law as someone who is both fun and funny.

“Micah’s a pretty bubbly guy, very patient, a hard worker, and he’s reliable,” she said. “If I need help with something, he’s always there to help.”

Brave said he always has had a soft heart for kids. He is the uncle that his nieces and nephews could turn to if their home situation ever became difficult. Now 39, he was 28 when his first child was born.

When state officials asked if he would assume custody of his brother’s five children, Brave didn’t hesitate.

“They were living with their mom then, and the state ended up taking them because of drug and alcohol abuse,” Brave said. “It was April of 2019 when I got custody of them, and their mom passed away in March of 2022.”

Sometimes, he feels a little overwhelmed, Brave admits, but he has a strong support system around him. Stevens is part of that group.

“This world we live in is already so hard,” she said. “Then, he unselfishly took on five additional children who had been through so much and gave them normalcy and a life and some love. He’s trying so hard to do such a good thing, and this happens. I think he can probably use a little help and a little bit of a break.”

Being the helper is much easier than needing help, Brave admitted. Life can change in a flash, however, and he’s doing his best to adapt to his new situation.

“I’ve always worked; I’ve always been the provider,” he said. “When I got these guys, I continued to work and picked up a second job. Life can change so fast.”

Click here to connect to the GoFundMe for the family.