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Fire leaves family and six ill dogs homeless

Community rallies with donations to GoFundMe campaign.
27494princetonfire
There is no word yet on the cause of the fire on Fenchurch Avenue that left a family homeless on January 2.

A Princeton family and six special needs dogs are homeless following a fire on Fenchurch Avenue in the early hours of January 2.

In less than one day a GoFundMe campaign has raised $1,495 to help Ellen Truscott, her husband Phil and their tenant.

Calli Martin, Truscott’s daughter, received a phone call from her mother while the house was ablaze.

“She doesn’t know how it started but just that it started in the garage and made its way over to the house,” said Martin. “All she had time for was to tell Phil and grab the dogs. She didn’t even grab her purse.”

A representative from Princeton’s Volunteer Fire Department could not be reached to comment on the cause or cost of the fire as the Spotlight went to press.

Martin set up the GoFundMe page to help her mother and her family through the transition of finding a new home. So far the campaign has exceeded its goal by 50%, with donations ranging between $5 and $200.

“I’m sure there will be insurance assistance, but for now they’ll need a little bit of help and I don’t see insurance necessarily being enough.”

Of particular concern to Martin is the condition of the family’s dogs. “The dogs all have special needs, one needing a special chair to eat as he has megaesophagus, one being able to eat only fish for the most part due to allergies, and a senior with hearing and sight issues.”

Donations of clothing and other items were being offered on Princeton Facebook groups.

Anyone wishing to donate to Truscott and her family can go to www.gofundme.com/moms-house-burning-down.

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far. I just told my mom and she was so grateful.”

 



Andrea DeMeer

About the Author: Andrea DeMeer

Andrea is the publisher of the Similkameen Spotlight.
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