After a week filled with fires across the city, a Regina family’s house and holidays have gone up in smoke.
Rena Nepinak and her children are still recovering after waking up to a nightmare early Monday morning.
“My eldest son woke me up first. He said mom I smell smoke and I see flames,” Nepinak recalled. “We’re so thankful that he woke us up and he was on the main floor that night.”
The mother of six kids, all under the age of 14, and her husband were able to hustle their children out of their Cameron Street home, but not quickly enough to gather any belongings.
“My son said his feet were burning, it was so cold,” Nepinak added. “He didn’t have shoes on. Only my daughter, Hannah, had a coat on because it was right by the front door. No one else had coats or shoes.”
Nepinak and 8-month-old baby Jayden got the worst of the smoke, but escaped major injures. They were the last ones out of the house.
The fire completely destroyed the basement, along with family heirlooms. The rest of their house and possessions were severely damaged by smoke.
“Around Christmas we typically see more house fires due to Christmas trees in houses, and of course families are at home, so there’s more candles and more fireplaces,” Red Cross Saskatchewan emergency management operational manager Georgiana Schuring said.
But things weren’t about to get easier for the family of eight.
When the group arrived at the hotel the Red Cross put them in, they were greeted by more fire trucks as upper floors of the Ramada were evacuated for a fire alarm.
Now the parents are fighting for a home and a sense of normalcy for their kids over the holidays.
“We have a Christmas tree every single year. My daughter bakes cookies, and now she’s asking where to put Santa’s milk and cookies,” Nepinak sighed. “But we’re going to do our best.”
With few possessions left and only one relative in the city, the family won’t have the money for a new place to live until next week.
Extended family in Yorkton, Sask. have offered to house one or two of the kids, but Nepinak says that’s a last resort for a family that has never been separated over the holidays.
They’re working with the Red Cross to find a temporary solution, while Nepinak’s sister has started a GoFundMe to help them get back on their feet.
“The goal right now is to find a place to live, get stability for them so they can go back to school January 7 and put this behind them and start rebuilding,” Nepinak said.
For now, they’re grateful they’re together; thankful for a young boy’s quick thinking and hoping for better luck in the new year.