A fundraising effort is now underway for a family in the Willow River area burned from their home on Monday evening.
The Willow River Store is the drop-off point for donations as the family of four tries to get back on its feet. Store proprietor Kevin Dunphy, also the area's elected director for the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, said the two children and their parents lost everything in the blaze.
"Their home burned to the ground," he said.
"They had been living in that place for the past five or six years."
He attended the fire scene himself, once Willow River's volunteer firefighters finished the main thrust of their fire suppression. There was no hope of saving the house, he explained, only protecting the adjacent areas.
"My understand is, it started inside the house and they were outside so it got a good start on them. They tried to put it out themselves when they got there to see the fire, and the fire department did their best, but it was too far advanced."
The cause is not known and due to the complete destruction, it will possibly never be known said Dunphy. He is just thankful that no one was seriously injured.
This is the third major incident the Willow River fire brigade has attended in the past few weeks, he added, underscoring the need to support the volunteer crew. They are not trained and resourced to the point of being a fully sanctioned fire department under regional district's designations, and they survive without a taxpayer levy, but their effectiveness is becoming more clear with each new incident they help at, Dunphy said.
"They have gone on this way for several years now, things are coming along quite well on their firehall and we have some dedicated volunteers working for them. We are very blessed to have them."
Discussions this week are expected to bring forth some additional fundraising efforts to help the victim family.
