London’s housing authority has been unable to contact the Syrian family whose townhouse was destroyed by a suspicious blaze while they’re back in their war-torn country.
The mother and her four children, who live at 402 Boullee St., left Nov. 21 for the Middle Eastern country to bring back another child, a neighbour said.
But while the family was away, a fire ripped through their two-storey townhouse, part of a public housing complex, last Wednesday.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to get in contact with the family at this point,” said Josh Browne, the housing manager at the London and Middlesex Housing Corp.
Firefighters were called to the east-end complex at 1:24 a.m. Nobody was home at the time.
The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office is probing the blaze.
Officials have released the scene, said Browne, but the townhouse won’t be ready for the family to occupy anytime soon.
“There is extensive smoke and fire damage, so it looks like a complete gut and rebuild,” he said.
Browne said the housing authority is paying for the repairs, but the family is on the hook to replace possessions lost in the blaze.
Neighbours have started collecting everything from toiletries and toys to clothing and furniture for the displaced family.
“We want them to be comfortable when they come home,” said complex resident Jennifer Whitehead, who is organizing efforts.
“The kids lost all of their toys,” she said of the children, ages five, seven, 10 and 11.
But only a few donations have trickled in so far, Whitehead said.
It’s unknown whether the family arrived in Canada as refugees — the country has accepted more than 35,000 Syrian refugees since last year — or regular immigrants.
One neighbour, who said she knows the mom well, has been unable to reach her friend, but heard the family will return Dec. 18.
“We’re trying to look at . . . where we can rehouse (the family) quickly,” said Browne, adding the housing authority has units available.
Anyone wanting to donate household items to the family can also drop them off at the housing authority’s office at 1299 Oxford St. E.
To donate online, visit http://bit.ly/2h7SVP1
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Source: Fund hopes to ease fire fallout for Syrian family | The London Free Press
