Members of the family whose east Maple Ridge house was gutted by fire Friday night appreciate all the concern and effort.
But a friend on a Facebook group set up to help them says that they’re doing OK.
“I have spoken with the family. They thank you for all your love and support. As they are fully insured, they are in no need of donations. The family appreciates your concern,” Barb Stockall said online.
Megan Oliver, however, said that there’s still lots of red tape to go through and that any donations not needed will be passed on to other organizations.
Read more: Maple Ridge family loses home to fire days before Christmas
The family has been displaced just days before Christmas by a fire on Friday in the 10900-block of 241st Street.
At approximately 10 p.m., firefighters arrived to a reported basement fire to find heavy flames from the rear of the two-storey home.
Maple Ridge deputy fire chief Michael Van Dop said the five occupants of the house were home at the time, and were alerted to the fire by a smoke detector.
One person was sleeping.
Van Dop said it was a fast-developing blaze, and by the time all the occupants got out of the house, all had suffered smoke inhalation and one a suspected fracture.
Van Dop said firefighters finally got the fire under control at 1 a.m. on Saturday and were on the scene all night.
At 9:30 a.m. Saturday, smoke was still drifting from the house.
“If there’s a message here, it would be that working smoke alarms save lives,” said Van Dop.
pmelnychuk@mapleridgenews.com
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