On Friday April 10th 2026 a house fire was started in the basement suite of my home. Two cats were in our house when the fire occurred. One was able to get out, the other succumbed to smoke inhalation and didn't make it. As any pet owner knows she was a member of the family and I am heartbroken to have lost her.

The fire was not caused by us or faulty wiring. The tenants downstairs were home and the fire started in their childs bedroom while the mom was out of the room. They have not reached out in any way to check on us even though they and their family were all safe.

We have now been informed that although our living space was only smoke damaged. Since it was an old house and there was some asbestos in building materials we may not be given the opportunity to retrieve any clothing or bedding. I'll never be able to replace my wardrobe and there are beloved collectibles like concert t-shirts that I may not get out. There are beloved stuffed animals that my fiancé's child may not be able to get back. ALL Of our belongings are at risk due to a fire that had nothing to do with us.

We are looking at having to start over completely when our entire lives were in that house.

We are displaced for however long the restoration work takes. We now have to find alternate living arrangements which is more difficult due to the fact that we have our dog and cat with us.

We don't have any significant savings and what we have had is being used up by hotels, buying new clothes, having to eat out due to not having access to a fridge or kitchen.

We don't know what to do or how to proceed but we need help and every little bit helps.

We will be using any funds received to help build our lives back one piece at a time including clothes, bedding and cherished belongings