Donors have pitched in almost $5,000 for a Yellowknife family displaced by a house fire over the holidays.
An online GoFundMe campaign has pulled in over $4,600 in relief funds for the Zantoko family, whose Gold City Court home was destroyed after a fire broke out on the morning of Dec. 21.
Fire crews arrived on scene to find the residence's garage totally engulfed in flames, with a vehicle inside and the overhead garage door open.
December 21, 2018.
The city's fire division responded to an early morning call about a vehicle fire at Gold City Court.
No one was injured in the blaze, confirmed fire chief John Fredericks.
Colin Charlton, president of Gold City Court’s rental board, credited fast-acting firefighters following the fire.
"Thanks to the prompt actions of the Yellowknife Fire Department, the fire was contained to one unit," said Charlton.
The relief effort, launched hours after the fire and written in French, calls on the generosity of Yellowknifers to help cover the family's “immediate needs” such as winter clothing and housewares.
“We organized this fundraiser to help the Zantoko family whose house caught fire on the night of December 20-21,” said organizer Mama Sylla in an email.
A Zantoko family member attends Ecole Allain St Cyr, where Sylla is a secretary and librarian.
In a Facebook post, Commission scolaire francophone Territories du Nord-Quest called on residents to drop off donations for the family, who are temporarily residing in an apartment.
By Thursday morning, the GoFundMe campaign had neared its $5,000 fundraising goal.
The Office of the Fire Marshal is continuing to investigate the fire.
– with files from Meaghan Richens