91���˵���

MINDEMOYA—A Mindemoya family lost everything in a devastating house fire last Friday, the second total loss house fire on Manitoulin in a matter of days.

“They lost everything,” stated Annette Pearson, a friend of sisters Ashley Van Vliet and Alex Van Vliet who along with their mother Norma, lost everything they own in the blaze. “They are very nice people and are well liked by everyone in the community.”

“I talked to Ashley afterwards and she said she could smell smoke in the house, but couldn’t find out where it was coming from, except that it was from somewhere at the back of the house. She figured it had to be something electrical (that caused the fire),” said Ms. Pearson. The fire took place at 29 Pleasant View Drive in Mindemoya.

Phil Gosse, fire chief of the Central Manitoulin Volunteer Fire Department told The Expositor “We received a call of the fire at 2:25 pm on Friday (June 5). “The fire was not suspicious and the cause of it is unknown,” he said, noting, “the house was destroyed in the fire.”