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House fire displaces two families

A single father and his children believes he lost most of the family's belongings in a house fire Monday night.
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Ralph Keam stands outside his home at 974 Huston Street in Williams Lake Monday evening as firefighters finish putting out a fire that destroyed the home and displaced the single father and his three children. The family lived upstairs in the rental home while another family rented the basement suite. Keam said the blaze was the result of a kitchen fire in the basement.

A home on Huston Street received extensive damage and its tenants are out of home after a kitchen fire spread quickly through the house Monday evening.

Ralph Keam had rented the upstairs suite in the home for the past two years and said his family and the family renting the basement suite had just enough time to get out of the house before it erupted in flames just after 6 p.m.

"Nothing you can do about it now," said Keam, who was already given the keys to another rental unit by the property manager.

"I guess we'll be scrambling for a while to try and find some furniture and clothing."

Keam is a single father to two girls, ages 7 and twelve, and a 16-year-old son.

He said the basement tenants were cooking at the time of the fire and were able to warn them to get out.

Emergency crews were still on scene at 7:50 p.m. Monday evening ensuring the blaze was out.

Anyone wanting to donate to the family can do so by contacting the Williams Lake Tribune office at 188 N 1st Avenue.

While Keam was standing outside the fire, a neighbour had already offered the family a couch.

 

 

 



Angie Mindus

About the Author: Angie Mindus

A desire to travel led me to a full-time photographer position at the Williams Lake Tribune in B.C.’s interior.
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