With only pyjamas on their backs, family of 6 is starting over after losing everything in fire

Bryce Leitch and his son Quinton were playing video games in their south London home’s basement on Sunday night when the 9-year-old suddenly said he heard a “weird noise” coming from upstairs. 

Not long after, Leitch started to hear it too.

“I’ve never heard that before in my life. You know crackling over the fire? It wasn’t like that. It was like huge pieces of wood snapping,” he said.

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. 

“The whole porch was engulfed in flames, like up to the ceiling – everywhere,” Leitch said. “I turned to run back to the basement because my boy was down there, and then the window exploded inside and the fire came in.”

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.

“It was the iciest night. I’ve 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,” Leitch said, adding that the family managed to get their dog and guinea pig out of the house.

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.

“You know that you have to do something, but you also know that you’re useless,” he said. “You just sit there, you stare at it and you just watch it.”

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.

There were no injuries, but people at two neighbouring units were displaced, he said. Firefighters also rescued and resuscitated the Leitch’s family’s cat.

On Monday morning, the cause of the fire was deemed as undetermined, with damages estimated at approximately $600,000, Mosburger said. 

After eight years living in their unit and 15 years living within the Wilkins Street complex, Leitch’s 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.

It’s 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.