Cynthia Rosette was trying to do everything right.
In May the single mother purchased a trailer at the Lakeside Mobile Home Park in Williams Lake, hoping to finally own a home for herself and her 10-year-old son Maximus.
That dream was brought to a halt on Dec. 7 when her trailer was damaged after a fire ripped through the trailer right next door to hers.
It was one of several suspicious fires in the mobile home park that day.
A second trailer fire, up the hill from Rosette’s, claimed the lives of a woman and man.
Witnesses later told the Tribune a truck and a motorcycle were also set on fire during that time period.
To date the police have released no further details.
“I can’t believe the people who did this,” Rosette said Monday as she showed the Tribune where her trailer received damage both inside and out. “They ruined the lives of three families all in one night.”
For her, the toughest thing, Rosette said, is the fact she did not have insurance.
When she purchased the trailer, some of it was already renovated, but she has spent thousands of dollars doing further renovations and upgrading the electrical to bring it up to code so she could qualify for insurance.
“We got a brand new electrical panel put in and everything,” Rosette said. “My bathroom and everything on this side of the trailer is completely gone. I have an electrician coming back to take a look at the wires that run outside the house to the hydro pole.”
Rosette did a walkthrough of the trailer Monday with the Tribune.
“This was my son Maximus’s bedroom. It was gutted and our bathroom is completely gone.”
Initially Rosette said she was devastated and in shock.
In -28C weather they packed up their belongings, rented a U-Haul and put everything in storage.
Since the fire, Maximus has been staying with his dad at Sugarcane.
Rosette has been staying with her dad at McLeese Lake and commuting into Williams Lake each day for her job at the Hearth Restaurant.
Rosette said she has received a few donations and has used the money to close up the holes and damage on the one side of the trailer.
There is a GoFundMe account titled Cynthia’s fire damage fund set up.