A family in the small Similkameen town of Hedley lost their home and most of their belongings in a fire on Friday night.
The Hedley Fire Department was called to the home at 876 First Ave. around 7:45 p.m., assistant fire chief Doug Nimchuk said.
Officials believe a grease fire started in the kitchen, spreading to the rest of the home.
A three-year-old child, his mother and his grandmother were inside the home at the time of the fire, a witness said.
A friend of the family told Global News the family “lost it all” in the blaze.
Friends and family are working to coordinate donations from the community to support the family.
Staff at the Hedley Country Market said they’ve set up a victims relief donation jar and a food hamper.
Nimchuk said the family got of out of the home safely before crews arrived on scene.
“The house was fully engulfed,” Nimchuk said.
Eleven members of the volunteer department put out the flames.
“We started at roughly 8 p.m. and we got back to the hall at 2 a.m.”
Some members of the fire department returned to the scene again on Saturday for mop up and clean up.
“There was still some smouldering going on. I’m glad it rained early [Saturday] morning and it was a cool night,” Nimchuk said.
The fire is not believed to be suspicious.
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