Family of 5 searching for a new home after fire destroys everything they own

A family of five is looking for a new place to live after a fire on New Year's Day destroyed their east London, Ont. home and all their belongings.

A total of six people including owners, Ken and Ashley Major, their three children, Kiyla,12, and twin boys Ben and Cole, 4, and the kids' aunt Chrissy McElmon, managed to get out of the fire unscathed. 

Fire crews were called to the scene at 127 Toulon Cres. shortly before 11 a.m Saturday after multiple 9-1-1 calls of an active fire. London Fire says the estimated damage is worth $400,000.

"Everyone was asleep when the fire broke out except Ashley, when she heard my other sister Chrissy scream, she opened her door and immediately felt a face full of smoke," said Ashley's sister Tiffany Loyer. 

The family has been put up in a hotel by the Red Cross until Jan. 5, after which they must cover the cost of their accommodations or relocate to another place. They say they hope to find a place to rent. 

"Nothing is salvageable, everything is gone except just the shell of the house," Loyer added.

The family bought the home and lived in it for more than five years. The kids' father Ken works at a factory in London, and Ashley is a stay-at-home parent. 

While they were able to safely escape the fire, the mental toll of this incident has been challenging for the family.

"Physically, they're okay and they're here... emotionally, it's taken a significant toll on them. They're devastated," said Loyer. 

She added that the children are not okay either because the incident has been very difficult for them to process and make sense of. 

"They have a lot of questions," Loyer said. "The twins keep asking when they can go home, and Kiyla is wondering if her Christmas presents are still there." 

Loyer started a GoFundMe page with a goal of $30,000 for the family to cover living costs, the replacement of larger items, and financial support since Major has to take time off work to deal with the tragedy. 

London Fire's Platoon Chief Colin Shewell says that crews were met with heavy smoke and fire but were able to tame it within 30 minutes of their arrival on scene. 

"It was good to know that the 6 occupants were able to escape, rescue is always our number one priority," he said."It's a tragic day for the family but the fact that they are all out and accounted for is great."