A fire gutted a Penticton, B.C., home over the weekend, leaving seven renters displaced.
The house, located near Eckhardt Avenue and Burns Street, went up in flames around 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Anton Phonsavathdy, his parents, roommates and two dogs were home at the time of the fire and escaped only with the clothes on their backs.
“I just woke up and started smelling smoke and I looked out the window and heard people screaming. My dad was banging on my door, trying to wake me,” said Anton Phonsavathdy.
“I grabbed the dogs and ran out really quickly. My one dog did not want to leave the room because there was smoke coming from the staircase and a little bit of flame, so he didn’t want to go down. So, he ran right back into my room and didn’t want to come out; I had to pick him up and carry him down the stairs. Luckily all of us kind of got out, it was pretty intense.”
An investigation is underway into how the fire started and although the cause is unknown at this time, the tenants believe the fire started near the living room.
The extent of the damage is also unknown at this time. However, Anton Phonsavathdy says they will need to find a new place to live.
“We haven’t been able to go into our home since there’s a fire investigation,” said Anton Phonsavathdy.
“I don’t know how bad the fire went deep into the house. But I know there was a lot of smoke. Even the smoke was coming into my room from the vents, so there could be a lot of smoke damage.”
The fire sparked just 24 hours after his mother, Anne Phonsavathdy, had returned home from a major surgery as she continues to battle cancer.
“Her work, Gratify, has been helping us a huge ton. They’ve been doing a really good job and all of neighbours have been a huge help and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Anne Phonsavathdy has been working as a supervisor at Gratify Foods in Penticton for more than two years. But the cancer treatment has put her off her feet for the time being.
Gratify has been helping with fundraising efforts and will soon have tote bags for sale in support of the family.
“We’ve been strategizing some short-term living situations. We’ve got so many generous offers from people from donating things like clothing to rebuilding their lives with like a bed and things like that — things that you need in your place,” said Gratify Foods co-owner Ryan Oickle.
“We had just had a fundraiser for her for after the surgery, just to just to subsidize some of the expenses when she’s away from work. And everybody came together for that — people were coming into the shop and supporting that, and it’s just been a great community. And then for this to happen, people have been doubling down. So it’s been really inspiring to see.”
A GoFundMe campaign has also been started for the family, and as of Monday over $6,000 had been raised.
For now, they have been put up at a hotel for a couple of days through Emergency Support Services, and Anton Phonsavathdy says they plan to reach out to the Red Cross for further support.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone that’s kind of been helping us out, it means the world to me,” said Anton Phonsavathdy.
“My mom is really going through it and I don’t know any other way to help her. So, this helps a lot, she hasn’t cried at all today. So we are working and hopefully we’ll get through this.”
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