A family of four is homeless following a house fire Sunday morning in the Pacheedaht residential area of Port Renfrew.
All family members managed to get out of the fire. One person suffered minor burns to his wrist.
And while all are safe, the family did not have time to grab any personal belongings or spare clothing, said Pacheedaht band manager Chris Hopkins.
The house was destroyed by fire.
The cause of the fire is unknown and it is being investigated by the RCMP and a B.C. fire specialist.
The house was located down the street and across the road from the Pacheedaht band office, in the centre of town.
Relief efforts for the victims have already been set in motion, Hopkins said.
“We had a community meeting [Sunday] and people have been donating clothes,” he said. “We got them [the victims] set up in temporary housing, they’re off to a warehouse in Port Alberni full of furniture to pick out from. The community’s really stepped up.”
The T’Sou-ke First Nation also arrived with a load of donated clothes and items following the news of the fire.
“We were quite shocked at the amount of stuff that came out of Sooke, it was very heart-lifting,” Hopkins said, adding that even the campers in their campground were donating clothes.
“The band and the individuals involved are grateful for the support they received from the community and from Sooke, and helping them get through the trauma.”
Meanwhile, the Pacific Marine Circle Route is now open to traffic, the province announced Tuesday morning.
The road was closed down two weeks ago between the bridge adjacent to the Pacheedaht campground, and the road junction in Mesachie Lake due to debris falling down from the fire.
The only alternate route was the Gordon River Mainline that provided access to Honeymoon Bay.
To date, the affected area of the fire is an estimated 393 hectares, though 70 per cent of it has been contained.