While the mother and grandparents of fire fatality victim Morgan Duncan were preparing to say their final goodbyes, they received a shocking letter from the city of Topeka — a bill for $16,064.40 for the demolition of the house where Duncan was killed.

"PAYMENT IS DUE WITHIN 30 DAYS," the bill said.

"It has been a nightmare," Mary Johnson, Duncan’s grandmother, said Saturday morning while standing outside 1106 S.W. 8th, the home where Duncan was killed Nov. 20.

Morgan Duncan’s family members had a memorial service for the 18-year-old Saturday afternoon.

The city of Topeka told Duncan’s mother, Cheri Duncan, she could make payments. But Johnson said her daughter, who didn’t have homeowner’s insurance, probably won’t be able to handle even a small monthly payment.

"(Cheri) lost absolutely everything she had, including her daughter," Johnson said. "She’s living with her older daughter now."

Cheri and Morgan Duncan were on a fixed income of about $1,400 per month before the fire, said Johnson, who manages her daughter’s Social Security payments. Morgan Duncan’s father died when she was a small child. With Morgan Duncan’s death, Cheri Duncan’s income will drop to about $700 per month.

The statement of charges from the city shows the demolition contractor’s cost as $15,314.40 and an administrative fee of $750, for a total cost of $16,064.40. That is nearly half of the 2014 appraised value of $35,440.

"City regulation requires us to send notice by mail and post notice on the property before emergency demolition," said Suzie Gilbert, the city’s communications and marketing director. "In this case, it was done on the same day."

The date of the bill, issued to Cheri Duncan, was Dec. 2, just four days before Morgan Duncan’s memorial service.

"The notice was sent to the property owner’s registered address, which is in Ozawkie," Gilbert said. "Because the structure was in imminent danger of collapse, it had to come down that day. The city is not licensed to do demolition so the service was contracted out to a licensed demolition contractor."

There is no standard time frame for when a building "has to come down," and it depends on the condition of the structure, Gilbert said.

Topeka Fire Marshal Michael Martin said the Topeka Fire Department does everything possible to mitigate a fire with as little damage as possible.

"Unfortunately, we are occasionally forced to take alternative measures," Martin said.

During large fires, the structural integrity of a building prevents interior fire attack, Martin explained. When this occurs, heavy equipment may be required to reach areas with hidden fire.

"This was the case with this incident," Martin said. "Suppression crews were unable to enter the upper levels of this structure due to the extent of fire damage and structural instability."

To control and extinguish the fire at the Duncan residence, the fire department requested heavy equipment to remove parts of the structure to reach the hidden fire.

"Doing this further degraded the stability of the structure," according to Martin.

One of Morgan Duncan’s friends has established a fundraiser at GoFundMe.com/morganduncan. The Johnsons plan to start a fund with Kaw Valley Bank, too, to help with expenses.

"This is a tragic situation and the city is willing to help in any we can," Gilbert said.

Cheri Duncan woke up the morning of Nov. 20 to the smell of smoke, Johnson said. She had fallen asleep on a downstairs couch. Morgan Duncan — who was a sound sleeper — was upstairs asleep.

Cheri Duncan told her mother she saw flames coming from a fan near a space heater.

"She ran to the kitchen and got water," said Johnson, who lives with her husband, Kevin, near Perry. "The water made it worse."

Cheri Duncan then doused the fire with flour, which didn’t help either.

Cheri Duncan called 911 and ran to a fire station about a half block from her house.

"No one was there," Johnson said.

The location of the fire was a half-block north of Fire Station 4, at 813 S.W. Clay. However, engines from that station were out on another call at the time of the fire, necessitating companies from other stations to make the initial response to the fire.

"Cheri came back here, and a woman stopped," Johnson said. "Cheri begged this woman to go upstairs and get Morgan. They were both going to go back in and get her. The policeman wouldn’t let her."

Cheri Duncan called her mother and said: "Morgan is dead. She’s dead. She’s dead."

Family members and friends gathered across the street and watched the fire destroy the house where Morgan Duncan had spent most of her life.

"We watched for hours while the house burned with her in it," Johnson said, wiping away tears. "She was such a sweet girl. This has changed our lives forever."