The May 22 fire at the Killoren Crescent Boardwalk Apartments in Prince George left about 60 residents displaced after 24 of the building’s 57 units were destroyed.
Lucas Boreland, owner of Armoured Electrical & Fire Safety in Prince George, has stepped forward to support those affected by launching a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the victims and their families.
Boreland, a survivor of a house fire that occurred when he was a child, has seen firsthand how such tragedies can create confusion, stress, fear and financial hardship.
He told The Citizen he was inspired to help the victims of the Killoren Crescent fire after seeing his own community rally around his family when their home was destroyed.
“I first heard about the fire and it made me remember the fire that I went through as a kid and, yeah, how that affected me and my mom,” said Boreland. “It definitely was not an easy thing to go through. I just thought about wanting to give back, and so many people helped us out right after our house fire, I thought it would be good to pay that forward.”
He added that supporting those in need is a pillar of the Prince George community.
“It just showcases who we are as a community and that we are here to support each other, and that when these things happen we’ve got each other’s back,” he said.
The GoFundMe campaign is working in partnership with local emergency services, volunteers and victims to distribute the funds to those in greatest need.
The money will go toward temporary housing and moving costs, replacing household essentials, transportation and emergency care needs, as well as any expenses not covered by insurance or municipal programs.
“Donated funds will go towards needs that aren’t getting met by the city’s help,” said Boreland. “Some of the long-term issues they might have — maybe things that aren’t covered by insurance, personal belongings, maybe they have medical needs, anything they lost that isn’t easily or quickly replaced. I know sometimes insurance coverage takes quite a while depending on the provider. It can be a really long process when somebody has urgent needs.
“So I’m hoping those needs are mostly being met by the city, but anything that we can do in the short term or long term, we’re happy to help.”
Boreland is also donating a portion of his company’s profits for the month to the GoFundMe and is encouraging other local businesses and trades to contribute what they can — or even match his company’s donation.
“A big part of why I started this company is to keep people safe in their homes and protect them from incidents, but they still happen,” said Boreland. “We wanted to just show our support as a company, that we are here for the community and to support them.”
As of now, the GoFundMe has raised $1,835 of its $60,000 goal.
To donate or share the GoFundMe for victims of the Killoren Crescent fire, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-killoren-boardwalk-fire-families
