The six children who were left homeless and without their parents after a tragic house fire in Port Moody earlier this month are reaching out for the community's support with an online fundraising page so they can rebuild their home.
On the afternoon of July 10 a domestic dispute turned deadly when the father allegedly set fire to the home. Five of the six children, aged four to 18, were at home at the time and scrambled out a front window to escape. Their mother died of her injuries and her husband is facing charges of second-degree murder and arson.
Now the children are beginning to rebuild their lives and are hoping to stay in their home, which suffered significant damage in the fire, but the insurance company has denied their claim because the policy holder, their father, "intentionally set the fire," states the eldest sibling on their Go Fund Me Page.
"We are seeking help to rebuild our house and our lives," he states (the names of the children are under a publication ban to protect their identities). "We have deep connection to our house and our neighbours, and we hope to raise enough funds to rebuild the house back to habitable condition."
The estimated cost of repairing the home is $250,000; if the damage is too extensive and a complete rebuild is required, about $600,000 would be needed, the letter states.
The Go Fund Me page goal is $250,000 and anything extra will be placed into a government-managed trust for the siblings' future living and educational expenses.
"The support…we have received from our friends, neighbours, relatives and community has been a ray of light in the midst of confusion, darkness and despair," the letter reads. "We are greatly appreciative of everything and we are very hopeful of our future. We thank you in advance with the deepest gratitude from myself and my five siblings and in the loving memory of our mother."
• To donate to the campaign, visit www.gofundme.co/portmoodyfire.
spayne@tricitynews.com
@spayneTC
