Update: Fire Investigation Concludes; Family Needs Help After Fire

May 14, 2019 | 10:31 AM

Update

An electrical issue is believed to be the cause of a multi structure fire in Spallumcheen.

Three sheds and a fifth wheel on Schubert Road were destroyed in Sunday’s fire that impacted a mother and her four children.

Armstrong-Spallumcheen Fire Chief Ian Cummings says it will be listed as undetermined, but he suspects it was electrical, possibly sparked by some battery chargers in one of the sheds.

“I found the area of origin. There was nothing suspicious, but I certainly suspect it was electrical,” Cummings tells Beach Radio News.

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Cummings say it will be up to the insurance company to determine the damage total.

May 13

A GoFundMe page is looking to raise money to help a Spallumcheen mother and her four children devastated by a fire.

The blaze broke out on Sunday at Mandi Tessman’s property on Schubert Road and damaged a fifth wheel, a car, and three storage sheds which contained clothing, sports equipment, camping supplies and other items.

“Mandi has been fighting a rare autoimmune disease, and now has to deal with this loss,” says the page founder Iya Maksymchuk-Taylor.

“Her kids had all their winter gear and toys in those sheds. Including thousands of dollars of hockey equipment, winter clothes and gear. Newly purchased lumber was stored, and lost as well.”

Check out the GoFundMe page here.

Armstrong-Spallumcheen Fire Chief Ian Cummings tells Beach Radio News, he is back at the scene this morning, looking into the cause.

He doesn’t believe it was suspicious but can’t confirm that at this point.

“I haven’t ruled anything out yet because I’ve just been investigating for five minutes, but just being here I don’t see anything that would be a concern for me. But we do the investigation no matter what,” says Cummings.

by Corey Fischer