Jill Drescher says her family is “kind of homeless” in the wake of the March 2 fire that destroyed their home of nearly 15 years.
She, her husband John, 16-year-old daughter, Jessica, and 11-year-old son, Johnny, lived in a well-maintained mobile home on agricultural property located near 8 Avenue and 176 Street until that Friday afternoon around 5 p.m., when Johnny spotted a fire on their new outdoor deck.
He yelled a warning and called 911 when he spotted the flames.
Everyone got out without serious injury, though Jill Drescher and her son were treated for smoke inhalation.
The family cat, Bentley, and two budgie birds did not survive.
Damage to the home was extensive, leaving it beyond repair.
The exact cause of the blaze has not been determined yet, but fire service investigators suspect it started in the barbecue on the back deck.
The family turned down an Emergency Services offer of temporary housing because a relative agreed to put them up, Drescher said, but they did accept some donated household items.
“Basically, just about everything is gone,” Drescher says.
Her youngest child lost all his toys, including his Xbox and PlayStation.
Fortunately, most of their prize family photos survived the blaze, because they had been packed in plastic storage totes.
Some baby pictures in a desk drawer got soaked when fire fighters extinguished the blaze, but the Dreschers were able to dry them out.
But the wedding photos that hung on the living room wall are gone.
Jill Drescher said her family wants to publicly thank the relatives, friends and her co-workers at Peace Arch Hospital for their assistance.
“They’re helping a lot,” she said.
The family is hoping to find rental accommodation in the same area where they lived, but finding a three-bedroom for between $1,000 and $1,100 is proving a challenge.
“There’s not a lot in that area that’s in our price range.”
The family did not have insurance.
