People in the small central Alberta farming community of Bashaw have raised thousands of dollars to help a family whose business was destroyed in a mysterious fire Thanksgiving weekend.
Neighbours who live near the Bashaw Motor Inn reported hearing a loud boom, like an explosion in the early morning hours of Sunday. In the daylight, nothing remained but the picket fence around the property.
RCMP announced Monday they had discovered the remains of one person in the debris.
The major crimes unit has been called in to investigate. An autopsy has been scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
The body is as yet unidentified.
Officers said they were treating the fire site like a crime scene until it was proven otherwise.
It’s expected they will release a further update by end of day Tuesday.
Three victims who were sent to hospital were from the same family, who operated and lived in the motel.
Community leaders have identified them as the Tiwana family: a husband, wife and two sons.
A photo posted to Facebook shows the motel completely engulfed in Flames. (Facebook/John Mackenzie)
“We know that they’ve lost their home and they’ve lost everything in their home, as well as their business. So we wanted to make sure that we did what we could to help,” said Jackie Northey, who started an online fundraiser for the family.
“I wish we could do so much more.”
By Tuesday morning, the fundraiser had collected roughly $7,000 of its $10,000 goal.
One of the family’s sons had recently graduated from high school. Both boys were active in their school community and mentored other children for sports, Northey explained.
Bashaw, population 870, is 135 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.