A house fire this past weekend has displaced three people.
The fire took place early Saturday morning at a residence on Ferguson Avenue at 272 Street in Maple Ridge.
Firefighters were called to the two-storey house at 4:10 a.m.. on Dec. 7, after fire alarms woke the owner.
About 32 firefighters responded from Maple Ridge and Mission, with 11 trucks on scene, including two Mission tenders.
The first to arrive on scene could see smoke coming from the structure and while performing a 360 degree check of the house spotted flames through a window.
Crews attacked the fire from both sides of the house, explained assistant chief James Clelland, noting that the owner and tenants lived side-by-side and shared a common wall.
"The fire burned through that wall," explained Clelland, noting there was smoke, fire, and water damage to both sides of the house, making the building uninhabitable.
The owner of the property and two tenants, along with a pet cat and dog were able to get out of the burning structure.
The owner, though, was transported to hospital with smoke inhalation and released shortly after.
Clelland said the fire department's investigation is ongoing into what caused the fire, however, they don't believe it was anything suspicious. They were on scene for about 12 hours fighting the fire.
He added the tenants were given help by the Emergency Support Services team for the first 72 hours and placed in a hotel. The fire department also contacted the Red Cross to see if they could help as well.
Scott Harley and his daughter, Robynne, who were tenants at the house lost everything in the fire and did not have tenant insurance, said Kayla Marie Slogostski, organizer of a GoFundMe fundraiser for the pair.
They are now looking to rent a two- or three-bedroom residence, which will allow for a dog and a cat.
Harley, noted Slogotski, is also undergoing chemotherapy, which has made this situation even more difficult for the family.
Good friend Jesamyn Thomson is also looking for any help or suggestions of where to get help for the family.
"They lost everything in the fire so they will need to start over," she said.
The best help, Thomson said, is in the form of cash, gift cards, connections to resources, or donations to the GoFundMe page, as they don't have anywhere to store donated items.
Slogotski is trying to raise $30,000 for the family. As of Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 10, $2,905 had been raised from 29 donors.
To donate through the GoFundMe, people go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/scott-and-his-daughter-to-get-back-on-there-feet.
