DUTTON, ONT. -- Last Monday, volunteers from the Dutton-Dunwich Fire Department did their best, but there was little they could do to save a farmhouse on Marsh Line near Dutton.
That farmhouse is where Alaina Whitney lived with her husband Justin and their six children.
“You always see this kind of stuff happen but you never think that you're going to be in those shoes," said Alaina.
Before the blaze, the family was slowly getting back on its feet after a financial setback, so they couldn’t afford fire insurance.
However, once word got out, the community rallied and besides monetary donations they also have a storage bin filled with clothing, appliances and furniture.
“The amount of support that we received within the last week, I don't know how we would have been able to make it through the week without the community behind us, “ said Alaina. “The Daffodil Society and the West Lorne Baptist Church, the Lions Club and everybody was coming in to show their support.”
Even though the Whitney family is truly grateful to the Dutton-Dunwich community and to everyone who has donated, they are still looking for an area home to rent while they stay with relatives.
“Which is not an easy thing to find a house around here, we're country people, we've raised the kids in the country and we want to keep it that way.”
Alaina says the cause of the fire is believed to be electrical. Despite the tragedy, she says she is still grateful and is looking forward to moving on.
“We're all here and we're all safe so, I couldn't ask for anything else.”
