{"id":379129,"date":"2025-12-31T09:46:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T09:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/379129\/"},"modified":"2025-12-31T09:46:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T09:46:11","slug":"with-only-pyjamas-on-their-backs-family-of-6-is-starting-over-after-losing-everything-in-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/379129\/","title":{"rendered":"With only pyjamas on their backs, family of 6 is starting over after losing everything in fire"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Text<\/p>\n

Listen to this article<\/p>\n

Estimated 4 minutes<\/p>\n

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.<\/p>\n

Bryce Leitch and his son Quinton were playing video games in their south London home\u2019s basement on Sunday night when the 9-year-old suddenly said he heard a \u201cweird noise\u201d coming from upstairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Not long after, Leitch started to hear it too.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never heard that before in my life. You know crackling over the fire? It wasn\u2019t like that. It was like huge pieces of wood snapping,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Leitch walked up the stairs and saw bright orange coming through the front window. Unsure of what it could be, he opened the front door to check the porch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole porch was engulfed in flames, like up to the ceiling \u2013 everywhere,\u201d Leitch said. \u201cI turned to run back to the basement because my boy was down there, and then the window exploded inside and the fire came in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"FireFire crews were on the scene within four minutes after being called to 575 Wilkins Street Sunday night. (London Fire )<\/p>\n

Leitch started yelling upwards to his spouse and three other kids while running downstairs to get his son. Wearing only the pajamas on their backs, with no time to grab winter coats or shoes, the family of six rushed out the back door and into the snow.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the iciest night. I\u2019ve never seen ice quite like this, so every time I got out onto the back deck, I just slipped and fell as I was just trying to get the animals and people,\u201d Leitch said, adding that the family managed to get their dog and guinea pig out of the house. <\/p>\n

Standing on a small hill across the street, barefoot holding one kid under each of his arms, Leitch said all he could do was stare.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know that you have to do something, but you also know that you\u2019re useless,\u201d he said. \u201cYou just sit there, you stare at it and you just watch it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two families displaced in fire<\/p>\n

Emergency crews were called to the townhouse at 575 Wilkins St. around 10:40 p.m., and arrived within four minutes of the initial call, according to Platoon Chief Gary Mosburger.<\/p>\n

There were no injuries, but people at two neighbouring units were displaced, he said. Firefighters also rescued and resuscitated the Leitch\u2019s family\u2019s cat.<\/p>\n

\"Burnt Damages for the fire at 575 Wilkins Street are estimated at approximately $600,000, said Platoon Chief Gary Mosburger. (Kendra Seguin\/CBC News)<\/p>\n

On Monday morning, the cause of the fire was deemed as undetermined, with damages estimated at approximately $600,000, Mosburger said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After eight years living in their unit and 15 years living within the Wilkins Street complex, Leitch\u2019s family is currently staying in Thorndale with his parents. Other than a set of car keys, two cell phones, and some debit cards, the family lost all of their belongings in the fire.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been difficult for the four kids, their parents said. Teryn, 12, lost her volleyball equipment after recently making the team at school. Quinton lost his video games. Piper, 7, lost all of her Monster High dolls.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, 2-year-old Jack is just learning about fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis grandfather uses a fireplace to heat his house and now Jack will just walk up and stare,\u201d said Leitch\u2019s partner Melissa Earle. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen him react to fire, but now he just stares and says ‘fire in there.'”<\/p>\n

Neighbours, community rallying together<\/p>\n

Immediately after the family was displaced, Earle said neighbours began giving them shoes, jackets and blankets to stay warm.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A friend also started a GoFundMe campaign to help support the family in replacing their belongings and paying for veterinary bills.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"TwoMelissa Earle and Bryce Leitch say neighbours have been generous since the night their home caught fire. (Kendra Seguin\/CBC News)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe support has been fantastic. I\u2019d say we\u2019re quite blessed given the circumstances,\u201d said Earle, through tears.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the family continues to figure out their next steps, Earle said they\u2019re trying to provide the kids a sense of normalcy by keeping them in school and getting them back into sports. From there, she said they\u2019ll make a plan to find a new home and start over.<\/p>\n

The family is continuing to collect donations through the GoFundMe campaign<\/a> and by email at 575wilkins.leitchfamily@gmail.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Listen to this article Estimated 4 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":379130,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,41,39,42,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-379129","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-top-news","11":"tag-top-stories","12":"tag-topnews","13":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=379129"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379129\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/379130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=379129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=379129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=379129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}