BOYLE – A woman and her young daughter are safe after their home in Boyle was gutted by flames last Thursday.
Members of the Boyle Fire Department were alerted to a mobile home on fire on 2 Ave. E, April 30, at approximately 10:30 p.m. and found the front of the home ablaze with the two occupants already outside when they arrived shortly after.
About a dozen local firefighters responded with an engine, a tender, a wild land pick-up and the quick response vehicle, also known as the Boyle and Area Rescue Team (BART). Six more firefighters from Colinton were also called in for back-up.
“When we arrived on scene, the fire was all in the front end of the trailer, so at that time it’s a defensive fire and we try to protect the neighbours and try to put out the fire in the trailer,” said Boyle fire chief Darren Hill the next day.
The fire spread throughout the trailer quickly, sending embers across the neighbourhood due to the wind, he added, but there was ample space between the fire and the neighbour’s home, so there was no damage to surrounding properties. A light rain also helped.
The hotspots were taken care of by 2:30 a.m., but another call about more smoke coming from the fire 20 minutes later had four members return to the site. Eventually, it was decided a member would remain on site for the rest of the night.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but it didn’t take long for the community to come together on social media to offer anything they could for the mother and daughter.
The pair were well taken care of that night, finding shelter with a friend soon after the blaze, and the donations have been coming in fast.
A Facebook fundraiser, which can easily be found on the Boyle Community Views, Actions and Thoughts group page, was organized by a friend to help raise funds to rent a new place and cover the cost of making it into a new home.
According to the fundraiser description they “lost everything they owned including two dogs and (a) pet rabbit in a house fire. Please help me raise some money so they can find a new place to live and start to rebuild their lives.
“Your donation of any amount will be greatly appreciated and will go a long way in helping this single mom and her young daughter try to recover some feeling of home and security.
One good piece of news coming out of the tragedy though, again according to the Facebook page, was the return of their dog Beau, who ran away from the fire spooked and was missing. On Saturday morning, another post announced the dog had been found safe and was returned to the owners.
Chris Zwick,TownandCountryToday.com
