A benefit fundraiser is being held this weekend for the Mountain View County family who lost their rural home in a wind-aided fire on Sept. 2.ìThe family is overloaded right now. As a community we felt we wanted to do something,î said Jennifer McCulloch, a good friend of the family who is helping organize the event this Saturday afternoon (Sept. 17) on behalf of the Midway community.ìA lot of people want to help, and we want to pool one day so people can show their support,î she said, adding the benefit will help the family purchase essential household items that were destroyed in the fire. ìIt (fire) was awful. But fortunately nobody was hurt. I know they will be OK once they get through the hard times. They would be the first people to step up if this happened to anybody else.îThe rural mobile home of Jim and Tanya Rylance, located 20 kilometres east of Didsbury near the intersection of Hwy. 582 and Hwy. 791, caught fire just after 1 p.m. on Sept. 2.Firefighters from four municipalities were called and immediately converged on the residence. When they arrived shortly before 1:30 p.m. smoke was billowing out from the home, a newer style mobile home built in 2001.Firefighters said there were high winds aiding the blaze and it was too late to save the home.ìWe didn't have a chance to extinguish it,î said Bob Wright, deputy fire chief of the Didsbury Fire Department, on Sept. 2. ìThe house was fully charged with smoke and the back end was fully engulfed with flames shooting out.ìIt was untenable to go inside because of the intense heat and unstable structure,î said Wright, noting that at one point the structure's back end roof collapsed. ìWe had to go to defensive mode for safety reasons.îHe said it took firefighters about 40 minutes to control the fire. There were no injuries to any of the firefighters. Wright said a total of 21 firefighters from Didsbury, Carstairs, Olds and Linden battled the blaze.Meanwhile, Jim and Tanya Rylance had just arrived home with one of their two young sons when they first noticed the smoke pouring out of their home. They watched helplessly as their new home was overtaken by the blaze.ìWe are doing all right, as good as can be expected,î said Jim several days after the fire. ìThe support from the community has been overwhelming.îJim, who works as a truck driver in Calgary, said his wife and two young sons, Brody, 5, and seven-year-old Jesse, are now living with family.Last week Wright said the exact cause of the blaze has still not been pinpointed but the fire department and investigators are saying it was ìelectrical related.îHe said the estimated value of total damage to the home and its contents is about $250,000.Wright added that while the house could not be saved, two automobiles along with several recreational vehicles and outbuildings on the property escaped any damage.The Midway community benefit fundraiser will be held at the Lone Pine Hall ñ located east of Didsbury off Hwy. 582 ñ from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 17. McCulloch said citizens who want to donate cash or gift cards can bring them to the hall. Citizens will also have the opportunity to purchase new household items on behalf of the Rylance family. The items are being supplied by local businesses.For further information on the benefit fundraiser contact McCulloch at 403-335-9182.
