Fundraising has begun to help a family of five who lost their home in a fire on Tuesday.
Sarah "Loo" Giesbrecht's home in the Oscar Street mobile home park burned down after a fire broke out on Tuesday, Dec. 30, at around 10:30 a.m.
Giesbrecht lived in the home with her three teenage sons and four-year-old daughter. They also had a dog, two cats and a snake.
Fortunately, no one was home at the time, though the snake died and one of the cats is missing. Still, the family lost everything, said Giesbrecht's friend Courtney Nef.
"They lost all their clothing, appliances, furniture, video games — there's nothing left in the house," Nef said.
To help, Nef launched an online fundraiser on GoFundMe.com. The website says, "She needs everything from toiletries to clothes to pet food."
Nef said donations of clothing or other items can be made to her by calling 250-814-8071.
She said Giesbrecht stayed with her last night, while the kids stayed at their father's place. Nef wasn't sure what the plan was beyond that.
To help the effort, Steve Smith said he will be hosting a special open mic night at the Last Drop on Thursday, Jan. 1. There will be a donation bucket on hand and anyone who donates at least $10 will get a free ticket to the Revelstoke Grizzlies. There are 40 tickets to be given away.
The fire broke out at around 10:30 a.m. It took 29 firefighters almost three hours to extinguish and overhaul the fire, said fire chief Rob Girard in a news release.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but he indicated that it might be the result of a space heater.
"Misuse of these appliances can be deadly and disastrous" said Girard.
He also reminded people to have working smoke alarms installed in their homes.
This was the second mobile home fire this month. On December 12, a home west of Revelstoke was destroyed after it caught fire. It is believed to have been caused by a faulty oil furnace.