House destroyed by fire not insured, donations appreciated
A family was left homeless after a house fire near Singhampton Sunday.
Sarah Minduik, Tristan McGuire and their two sons, and Sarah’s father Paul Minduik are all staying with relatives this week after their home was destroyed. Firefighters were called to the Concession 11 farm at about 3 p.m. on June 26.
The fire started on the back deck of the house, where Tristan was barbecuing. Sarah said he went inside to get the food for the grill and the wind caught the flame and it got in under the siding. The fire spread up the wall.
“He grabbed a hose and tried to put it out himself and he was successful for a little bit but the fire spread up the wall and into the attic and tore off the whole top of the house,” said Sarah.
Fire department officials described the fire as stubborn, fueled by high winds and complicated by high temperatures. Crews were on scene for eight hours and used an excavator to get to the fire in the heavy construction of the home that was built in the 1800s.
“The windows were open so that really must have fueled the fire,” said Sarah.
She said Tristan is a bit shaken from the incident but he was not injured.
At the time of the fire, Sarah and her sons Nathan, 8, and Seth, 12, were in Newfoundland visiting her sister and nephew.
Tristan had informed Sarah of the fire and she saw some of it on the news but she didn’t see the damage for herself until she arrived home on Monday.
“It was very tough,” said Sarah. “I had a very hard time getting on the plane because I didn’t want to see it. We’ve raised three generations of Minduiks in that house. This is a family home. My nephew, my niece, myself, my sister and my dad, we were raised there.”
Sarah and the boys have only the luggage they took with them and they have no home insurance. The fire is not suspicious and the house did have working smoke alarms. Damage is estimated at $300,000.
The house was a duplex, with Sarah’s father living in the other unit.
The family was working to salvage what they could from the house before demolition began on Tuesday but basically, they have lost everything.
The family is staying with Sarah’s uncle at this time and the plan is to probably stay in a trailer on the property until they can move into permanent housing. They will need more help later but right now they need the basics, food and clothing, to get them through the next little while. Donations of grocery gift cards and non-perishable food items are what are needed most at this time.
The sons are students at Nottawasaga Creemore Public School and before school let out this week, school principal Alison Golding was organizing donations of clothing for the boys.
The family requires boys clothing in sizes 16 and 10 and shoes in sizes 7 and 3.
McGuire is in need of clothing as well, large shirts and 34×34 pants and size 9-and-a-half shoes.
Sarah can be contacted directly at 705-607-1384. Donations of money, gift cards, clothing and shoes can be dropped off at The Creemore Echo office.
