A devastating tragedy has left a Valley woman reeling after a deadly explosion at a biofuels plant in Nebraska claimed the lives of her nephew and his two young daughters. What began as a typical custodial week visit turned into a nightmare that tore through a family and left a community heartbroken.
Earlier this week, 32-year-old Dylan Danielson and his daughters, 12-year-old Hayven and 8-year-old Feya, lost their lives in a violent explosion at the plant where Dylan worked. For nearly 24 hours, their loved ones held on to hope—praying they had somehow survived the blast.
Kathy Harle, Dylan’s aunt, described those harrowing moments filled with uncertainty, hope, and eventually, heartbreak. Surveillance footage later confirmed the worst. Dylan, the only employee inside the plant that day, had brought his daughters with him during his scheduled week of custody. Harle shared that the girls were sitting innocently in the break room when the explosion occurred—completely unaware of the danger just moments away.
“They were such good kids, and Dylan was a wonderful father. He loved his girls so much,” Harle said, her voice heavy with grief.
According to Hayven’s stepfather, “It was Dylan’s week to have them—one week on, one week off.” That routine visit ended in tragedy. Emergency crews worked tirelessly to sift through the smoldering wreckage, and by Wednesday, the worst fears were confirmed: all three bodies had been recovered.
Harle shared a haunting detail—Dylan had managed to call his wife in the moments following the first blast. “He told her where the girls were,” she recalled. “He was still on the phone when the second explosion happened. And then the third one… that’s when the break room collapsed.” With that final blast, the last flicker of hope was extinguished.
The plant, known for producing wood pellets and animal bedding, is filled with highly flammable material. Harle pointed out the tragic irony. “It’s like firewood—it burns hot and fast,” she said. The plant had previously suffered a fire in 2014 that caused damage to its electrical system, though it had remained operational since.
Investigators continue to search for answers, but the emotional toll is already clear. For Harle, the loss of Dylan and the girls is indescribable—but she is finding comfort in the love and support pouring in from the community.
“I’m trying to focus on the light they brought into this world,” she said. “It’s so painful, but I think talking about them, remembering them, it’s healing. Maybe this is how we honor them.”
As the investigation continues, the memories of Dylan, Hayven, and Feya live on—in stories, in tears, and in the hearts of all who knew and loved them.