Neighbours rally to aid of families affected by fire
Two homes gutted, three damaged
Neighbours in Coventry Hills are rallying behind displaced families after a two-alarm fire on the weekend gutted two homes and damaged three more.
Christie Emmerson and her husband Paul are collecting donations, including grocery store gift cards, non-perishable food, bedding and personal hygiene items.
“We’re trying to get the immediate-need type of things to these families,” Christie Emmerson said. “We know we can’t replace their homes and their memories, but they still need to get through the next week.”
Fire crews were deployed to Covewood Park N.E. before 5 p.m. Sunday and called in a second alarm en route after spotting flames coming from one home.
The home where the fire started has been bulldozed, a second one was destroyed, and three more incurred damage, said battalion chief Al Magwood.
Three families have been displaced.
A pathway separates Emmerson’s home from those that were engulfed.
Emmerson said she and her husband moved to the community in January, and heard that one of the affected families had also just moved in.
“We know how hard it was to get into the home we loved, all the memories we wanted to create,” she said. “We just wanted to help out. If we were in the same situation, we’d hope the people around us would give us a hand and show there is support in the community.”
She said other neighbours are also collecting donations, which will be pooled and given to the three families most affected by the fire.
Donations will be collected until this weekend. They can be dropped off at the Emmerson home, 12544 Coventry Hills Way N.E., or by calling 403-452-0351.