Sherry Lynn Abbey says her family can start the process of rebuilding their lives after a devastating house fire in St. Thomas, Ont., last week thanks to the incredible generosity of the community.
Just days ago, Abbey was worried that she and her three children could face homelessness but on Tuesday she told Global News that her family is now preparing to move into a new rental this weekend.
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Community members have also helped cover the cost of a hotel in the meantime and more than $17,000 has been raised through a GoFundMe to go towards replacing what was lost in the fire.
“I’ve been really blessed, I’m telling you. The City of St. Thomas, like I said, they really come together in a time of need,” she told Global News.
The fire broke out last Thursday afternoon, just before 2 p.m. at the Park Avenue residence.
Abbey says she put a load of laundry in the dryer in the basement and not long afterwards her 10-year-old daughter said she smelled smoke.
“We quickly ran out to the kitchen and had smoke just barrelling out from behind the stove which is above the basement area,” Abbey explained.
“I called 9-1-1 immediately. We went down the stairs and I looked down to the basement as I was leaving. And I could see the flames there about five feet high at that point.”
@StThomasFire Responded today to 911 calls for a basement fire in a Park Ave home. Family had escaped safely, crews quickly knocked the fire down and rescued 2 dogs from the home. @myFM_News941 @BlackburnLondon @timesjournal #sttont #smokealarmssavelives pic.twitter.com/hHimC216DP
— St. Thomas Fire (@StThomasFire) January 28, 2021
She says the family left with the clothes on their backs and nothing else.
“My daughter only had a nightgown on. No coat, no socks, no boots. My son had no shirt on, his pajama pants, no coat, no boots. My oldest daughter didn’t have a coat or boots on either. I didn’t have a coat. I got my boots — that’s all I had time to grab. We had literally a split second to get out of the house before everything turned for the worse.”
St. Thomas Fire told Global News that when crews arrived on scene the family had already safely escaped.
Two dogs were rescued from the building but one of them has since died, the fire department says, adding that the fire has been deemed accidental and the damage is estimated at $200,000.
Abbey says it turned out to be an electrical fire in the basement.
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The Red Cross was helping to shelter the family, Abbey says, but coverage ran out on Monday and the family feared they’d become homeless.
However, “things are starting to look up” thanks to support from a landlord in nearby London, from donations to a GoFundMe, from a handful of other community members, from family and others.
“There was a nice landlord that reached out and lowered the rent for me and my kids so we can move in this weekend,” she explained.
“He basically restored my faith in humanity.”
She says a few people in the community also pitched in to help cover the cost of a hotel room until she moves and she’s also received donations of food, clothing and furniture.
“Just makes me so happy, warms my heart to see how a community can come together for people after such tragedy to happen.”
Her family has also been providing support, as well as her children’s father, she says.
While the support has been overwhelming and heartwarming, there are losses from the fire that cannot be replaced.
“Our dog got left in the upstairs bedroom. Mikayla, my oldest daughter, didn’t have time to grab her. She got too much smoke inhalation and we actually had to euthanize her on Saturday night. She was a big part of our family. She was my 14-year-old daughter’s best friend.”
Abbey adds that sentimental items that belonged to her late father were also damaged in the fire and she’s trying to salvage what she can.
On top of irreplaceable losses, she also says she’s been shamed on social media because she did not have tenant’s insurance — which she understands was a mistake.
“But you know what? We can’t go back and think about the what-ifs or what I could have done differently. We have to focus right now on the help that we need in the future and going forward of what I can do better.”
Abbey says her focus is on being strong for her children as they begin the process of getting back on their feet.
“I do my crying on my own because I’m trying to stay strong for them right now. I want them to see that they have a strong mother who is going to get them through this and that in the long run, everything’s going to be okay.”